F My Life
by The Blunt Child
Summary: COMPLETE! Er...well at least the climax has happened. Rest of chapters will be fluff. AU. Rei x Minako. The girls are entering college, and Mina shall have an identity overhaul through the unintentional charms of Rei
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I've claimed nothing.

AU. American university life. Don't want to create looks, so just imagine the PGSM actresses and actors without the coloured hair. Or keep the hair if you want; always made me laugh. Oh, and be warned that I'm not a scholar of Sailor Moon legit, so the characters may suffer stereotyping or personality adjustments. Just tough it by knowing that Rei x Mina is the ultimate, canon (or real for the believers) couple in existence.

****

Chapter I

Aino Minako lounged Venus-style on her new dorm bed, ogling her roommate and lifelong best-friend who was carrying in a mini-fridge, "Have I ever told you that I want your body?" Minako allowed her eyes to wander to every definition in her roommate's lean arms and legs.

"Even before puberty—" Rei's voice deadpanned before she barked, "are you going to help me move this, Mina!?" Hino Rei's head throbbed in anger, but in reality, her arms were certain enough in strength to hold the fridge firmly.

"No," Minako got up to direct Rei to put the fridge where _she_ wanted it. As Rei was setting it down, Minako started her hands at Rei's knees to slowly stroke them up, bringing Rei's already short shorts up more, into a wrap around the fuming girl's waist. "Look at my big, strong Rei!" Minako said mockingly, because she might have been an inch shorter than Rei, and she might have been five pounds lighter at most. Together they weighed maybe 200 pounds, a generous estimate.

Rei relaxed and sighed into Minako's embrace, unfazed by Minako's provocations. Minako had always been a flirt, especially with Rei, and Rei had learned to quell any confused feelings regarding Minako. Specifically, Rei forced herself after Minako started dating Zoicite, Zo for short, in the beginning of high school. It had been nearly four years, long enough for Rei's fire to ice over. Well, she tried her best to not enjoy Minako's excessive touching and groping, "One would think you'd help me, given your athleticism from volleyball."

"Which never got my body as sexy strong as yours!" Minako dragged Rei over to her own bed to rest. Once she had practically knocked Rei down into a trapped, lying position, she spooned Rei, cooing into the slightly taller girl's neck.

"Bet Ami tries to help Makoto with moving in—" Rei said.

"And she can't, because she's so tiny," Minako said.

"It's the thought that counts. Even Usagi will try—"

"But they won't let her, because she'll just break everything," Minako finished victoriously, throwing up her V-sign near her right eye.

It was an old habit borne from their band days. The five Japanese-American girls had been friends from the womb from their parents looking for a first generation community. By middle school, Minako championed the idea that they should start a band. She designated herself band leader, taking lead vocalist, naturally, but Usagi had come up with their names. Usagi had always had her head up in the clouds, so she wanted something ridiculous, "Sailor Planets," sailor scouts who traveled space. She assigned each of them a planet to represent:

Ami was cool and collected, mysterious like the gaseous Mercury. Ami said that Mercury was actually terribly hot, but Usagi had discounted that. Rei was assigned Mars, because she had always been kind of Mars alien in her random temper outbursts. Rei heated up upon hearing this, and Usagi could visibly see the red aura around Rei, perfect. Makoto was easily Jupiter, because Jupiter was the biggest. Makoto chuckled thunderously that Jupiter's storms were like her drum beats. Minako got be Venus, because she had always been obsessed with beauty from a young age. Minako did not argue this assignment as she blew kisses to an annoyed Rei. Usagi named herself Moon, which the other four complained was not a planet. Usagi did not heed them, because she wanted to be the brightest of them all, just like in space. After all, from the earth's point of view, the other planets just looked like bright stars compared to the bulbous moon. Usagi would force her boyfriend to be husband, Mamoru into being Sailor Earth, number one fan of "Sailor Planets." Mamoru hated how he always ended up being one of the girls.

Minako had then taken back her control, reasonably forming the girls into their strengths as musicians. Usagi became back-up vocals and guitarist, Makoto took percussion, Ami did keyboard, and Rei rocked lead guitarist and later did duets with Minako after great demand. There was no base to their sound, making them effectively girly. Also, they sported Japanese, sailor school uniforms in different colors, driving their fans mad.

Minako missed the good old days, as they had disbanded to get ready for applying to colleges, their last concert a tear-fest for fans. She let herself become pensive about the past, until Rei jolted her out of her victory,

"What about Zoicite? Shouldn't he be helping out?" Rei said. Minako's victory hit the same wall her relationship had hit within these last summer months.

"Zo…he's practicing. You know him; he likes to have his alone time," Minako said, suddenly losing all the glitter in her voice, as if Rei had been the one harassing her all day.

Rei mentally panicked as she could easily sense her best friend's unrest. While never fully accepting Zoicite as readily as the rest of the band had, biased no doubt, Rei had acted selflessly all these years to at least ensure Minako's happiness, if not her own, "Ah…you know you guys are so lucky," Rei hoped she didn't sound bitter, "both music majors, piano and voice, there couldn't be a more perfect duet. You guys get to connect at that level that most couples only dream of."

"Yea…it's what everyone says," Minako smiled her best at Rei. How could Minako say that Zoicite and she never talked about music? The only thing that they had in common, but Zoicite refused to discuss music with Minako. She apparently didn't understand his music, music beyond the popular nonsense "Sailor Planets" performed. Minako would ignore this part about their relationship, admiring all the things in Zoicite that she didn't possess, which was everything. She was fun-loving; he was no-nonsense. She was careless; he was meticulous. She was energetic; he was reflective. She was youthful; he acted 50. She didn't know herself, was insecure and impatient in identity; he could wait a lifetime for her, since he knew he wanted her more than anyone else possibly could.

Rei remained stoic—not wanting her face to fall, her feelings to fall, her heart to fall endlessly—genuinely believing Minako's losing front.

****

Ew, I don't like it already, haha. I don't normally write for fanfiction, so if you want it to go on, convince me? Or not. Actually, do whatever you want, my inspiration is usually internal. Go Rei x Mina!


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I claim that Rei x Mina are nyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!

I like this couple too much. While I've always debated whether fanfiction was fruitful, I think any sort of writing trumps mindless youtube surfing. I don't have any idea where this story is going, so think of this as sitcom episodic. Nothing epic, kay?

Oh, I think I'm spelling Zoicite incorrectly, but I like the way it looks. So it stays!

****

Chapter II

The same Saturday of moving in for students on campus. Classes began in two days on Monday.

"Did you finish?"

"Yea, Rei-chan did most of it, but that's not a surprise."

"…Why don't I ever get a '-chan?'" Zoicite turned seriously on Minako, his fingers finally leaving the piano.

"Uhm…you don't seem like you'd like being called that? I dunno. It just doesn't fit."

"Agreed, but still..." Zoicite said moodily.

"Grumpy much?" Minako threw out.

That thoroughly ended their conversation as Zoicite chose to play some somber melody from a ballet. Minako thought it sounded like indifferent Greek gods watching a maiden get assaulted.

The couple was inside a small, piano, practice room with many mirrors. No matter where Minako looked, every angle emphasized how far apart the two of them were. Zoicite sat glued to his bench, and Minako stood awkwardly in the corner closest to the door, fingering her hair.

They had never been intimately close, because Zoicite believed sex was something that needed marriage to back it up. He was raised well by his conservative parents, too well, Minako thought. Though she couldn't recall when she ever passionately wanted him, she wouldn't have minded a good romp in the sheets. She was a teenager; she had needs! She was nearing 19, and she was _still_ a virgin. Usagi and Mamoru had probably gone at it like rabbits, but Minako was still a virgin. She couldn't believe it.

Neither could Minako's mother. Mrs. Aino had dropped expensive china when Minako first told her mother she was dating Zoicite her freshman year of high school.

"_Zoicite-kun?" Mrs. Aino sputtered._

"_Yea, you're okay with that right?"_

"…_yes…of course! I just didn't think your first boyfriend would be such…husband…material." _

"_What do ya mean, Mom?"_

"_Well…you know your mother fooled around quite a bit as a teenager, young adult. I assumed you had taken after me, Minako, that was all."_

"_Mom, he's just my first! I'll have them lined up after me, don't worry about that!" V-sign._

"_Then don't forget that my Minako, because I want you to try enough things in life so you can find the perfect person, like I did with your father." Starry eyed. Back to reality. "Sometimes love is in the last place you expected, and other times, it could be right in front of you. I hope that's the case with you, Mina."_

So Minako had faithfully dated Zoicite for almost four years. They made sense as a couple. They complimented one another. They were both musicians. They looked pretty good together. They both had great hair. Zoicite kept his rather long hair for a male pulled back in a low pony-tail. It worked for him. The relationship worked, because they had grown complacent with one another, stuck. Why change something that wasn't broken?

"Where are you going?" Zoicite said.

Minako's hand froze on the handle. "I'm…going to eat with the band. You should eat too, get out of this stuffy room. Do you wanna come?"

"No…you never want to spend time with me."

"What are you talking about, Zo? I'm inviting you now," Minako said exasperatedly.

"Just time with me. When I play."

"God Zo, you never want a crowd. You _always _want time, and I'd be willing to give that to you more often if it didn't require me watching you play all the time."

"Please go, I want to be alone now," Zoicite closed himself off and started playing a dark piece.

"You don't need to tell me; I was already on my way," Minako left.

****

"Eurgh, that food is hateful! That's it guys, I've decided for us—we're eating off-campus, permanently," Makoto declared as she reclined in her seat. The five girls were in the common room of Makoto's, Ami's, and Usagi's triple. Behind this room was a door that led to the bedroom and bathroom further in.

"Aw, I didn't think it was so bad! I liked all the fried food!" Usagi chirped.

The other four sweat-dropped as they all were thinking that Usagi would eat indeed anything. They all settled down into their soon to be respective spots. Makoto and Rei took the singles on the right and left of the big couch in the middle, while the other three shared the big couch. Ami sat near Makoto's chair, handy with her extremely tinkered and portable laptop. Usagi hogged the middle spot, so she had easy access to anyone, and Minako was left next to Rei's side. They turned the TV on, only to be ignored by their companionable chattering.

After a while, Ami said, "Minako, is something the matter? You seem a little more dispirited than usual…forgive me if I'm jumping to conclusions!"

"What? Oh no! Not at all…" Minako came out of her daze, "I'm just thinking about Zo is all…"

Rei knew it, but she usually waited for Minako to tell her these things in private. She appreciated that Ami was also being observant for the singer's sake. She put her textbook down, forsaking early studying to focus on Minako.

"Minako, you know well that all of us are always here to counsel and sympathize with you," even Ami closed her laptop to turn to Minako. Makoto and Usagi stopped debating the food network channel to join in on the discussion.

"Well…in that case…" Minako bit her lip, fumbled with her hands, "be honest with me, guys. Because I don't think I've ever taken the time to even ask you guys. What do you _really_ think of Zo?"

"I find Zoicite to be an exceptionally gifted musician, unrivaled in his determination. Quite like his feelings for you," Ami offered, canting her head to the side.

"He's quiet, but I think he's really a nice guy. He's always so attentive to your every whim. Most guys don't do that," Makoto said thoughtfully.

"I like his hair! You guys are so pretty together, and he'll sometimes play songs that are so funny sounding! I think he's a catch, Mina," Usagi cheered.

"…" Rei said nothing, which made Minako look curiously at her.

"Hey Mr. Poe, don't keep all the darkness to yourself," Minako poked, "C'mon Rei, I want to know what you think."

The raven-haired Rei detached herself, as she always did when speaking about Zoicite. Minako may not have brought him up with the other three, but Minako shared _everything_ with Rei, painfully so.

"I think he'll be a good father," Rei gave, and that was all.

Minako stared at Rei quizzically, categorizing Rei's compliment as less positive than what the others had to say. Wouldn't have "good husband" been more preferable than "good father?"

"Okay…so that's Zo as a person, what about how Zo and I work as a couple? Are there sparks, chemistry, that undeniable magic that we belong together?" Minako said, trying to hide the desperation in her voice.

"Oh you guys are _fine_ together, well, not as perfect as Mamo-chan and me, but that's different…you guys have worked for four years, so why the worry now, Mina?" Usagi practically whined.

"Agh, don't listen to Usagi, Minako. Personally, since I've never been in a relationship, I can't say what exactly makes one tick. But I don't see how your relationship with Zoicite is any different than other successful ones I've noticed throughout high school," Makoto said.

"Hm…I don't mean to play devil's advocate, but when you use those precise words, 'sparks and chemistry,' I can't help but cite from many a romance novel or poem or—"

"Wow Ami-chan! You read romance novels too??" Usagi interrupted, making Ami's dormant blush come alive.

"Be quiet Usagi, Ami reads everything," Makoto's eyes widened at Ami's blush, "Go on Ami. Maybe give us an example that isn't as obscure."

"Very well, let me see…ah, yes! Everyone here knows Shakespeare, especially 'Romeo & Juliet.' Ehem," Ami prepared herself,

"Love is a smoke raised with the fume of sighs;

Being purged, a fire sparkling in lovers' eyes;

Being vexed, a sea nourished with lovers' tears.

What is it else? A madness most discreet,

A choking gall, and a preserving sweet."

A heavy silence filled the weight of the room. Most thought it was beautiful; one didn't get it.

"So you see, from my humble and likely fallible perspective, I can't say that Zoicite and you capture that. Your sighs now are airy. Your eyes look serious, but not alight. You may be frustrated, but you haven't cried. You're discreet, but not mad, erm, crazy, Usagi," Ami explained for a lost-looking Usagi. "And your gall, now think of mad Usagi, is not preserving anything. Zoicite and you are very logical, a perfect couple really. But that ideal 'magic' that you're looking for is rarely fulfilled in relationships I observe. Don't fret Usagi, I see yours." Usagi's insecurity passed, while her natural sympathy for others kicked back to Minako. Minako looked distraught.

"If you put it like that Ami, have I wasted all this time? Who could possibly be out there for me, so perfect, no, so illogical!?" Minako threw her hands up in the air, frustration revealing how deeply she yearned for _that_ kind of love.

"Now wait Minako, I didn't prove that it was impossible with Zoicite. I just think tha—"

A loud sigh escaped Rei's lips, infuriated, billowing invisibly like a dark cloud over them. Her eyes caught from the fire of her being, as she choked on her gall.

Ami stared at Rei incredulously, sensing that the raven-haired girl had been preserving for far too long. Of course. Ah. It made so much sense. From the moment they met as children,

"Minako, it's there, be patient." Ami couldn't take her eyes away from the tortured agony Rei was spilling forth.

Minako followed Ami's eyes, and immediately placed her hand on Rei to sooth her, dropping everything that had been discussed, "Rei-chan, what's wrong?" Minako still wanted to know what Rei thought, but this change in Rei's mood was more bothersome at the moment…

Maybe it was the context of the conversation, maybe they were all getting wiser upon entering college. Maybe it was the way Minako forgot everything said before as she looked worriedly and lovingly at Rei, maybe Rei was being really obvious. But after Usagi gasped in realization, the three roommates looked at each other knowingly. The key words Minako had used, the Shakespeare quote, had all burst like fireworks in their minds the moment Minako laid eyes on Rei, held her hand. It had happened so many times, too, in the past.

"I don't want to talk about this anymore," and Rei stormed out of the dorm room leaving a very flustered Minako and the opposing three who now found Rei's behavior to be transparent. It seemed that love could also be a sighed smoke that clouded the burning eyes from a preserved sweet.

****

Wow, now it's not even funny. It's just terribly dramatic. *Throws towel in*


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: Sailor Moon is for everyone.

I hated Chapter II. This one is more fun though, promise.

****

Chapter III

"Ughh…I _hate_ piano majors!"

Minako slammed her purse turned book-bag onto Rei's bed. Rei lay there unfazed on her stomach reading a packet on _Shinto, the Ancient Japanese Way of the Gods_. She simply grunted in response.

Minako took this as a cue to continue, "My accompanist, this stupid, fugly ginger, tells me I can't read music, that I have no technical knowledge! I just wanted to break her disgusting, brace teeth. God they look like keys; I should have punched her."

Minako slid into Rei's bed and threw the girl's reading to the foot of the bed. Minako turned on her side to face Rei, forcing the girl to pay attention to only her.

The first week of school had passed, and Minako's outburst the Saturday before classes officially started had been wholly swallowed by the freshman first week of introductions and challenging course loads. Minako had just finished afternoon practice, soon to be every other day. She was not adjusting well to working musically with anyone but "Sailor Planets."

Rei sighed at how her work had been pushed aside, as usual, and she baited, "What, you want me to beat her up for you?"

"I can fight my own fights, Rei-chan!" Minako said defiantly. "I just need you to listen to me whine!!" Minako shook Rei's frame by her shoulder.

"I do that," Rei said.

"—and to agree with me unconditionally!" Minako whined. "Don't you hate piano majors too, Rei-chan?" Minako had not let go that Rei had been the only one to avoid the question of Minako and Zoicite as a couple.

"Don't know any. But I like how Ami played."

"What about my boyfriend, hello?"

"Fine…I hate him."

"Oh, that's why I love you, Rei-chan!" Minako hugged Rei. Rei had said it so straightforwardly that Minako could only assume it was a joke. Temporarily letting her stomach override her mind's intention of getting Rei's opinion, Minako murmured, "Let's go get something to eat, just you and me. I hate people right now," Minako managed to huddle into the spot that used to be Rei's reading. Rei's stomach lurched for her best friend, as she mentally agreed that she hated people persistently.

"What does that make me?" Rei questioned softly, guiltily studying Minako's form so close to her.

Minako turned up to face Rei, mere inches from her lips. She traced her index finger adoringly along the fiery girl's cheek, "You were created for my selfish devices. Made for me and only me." Minako's tone was playful, but anyone else listening in would have caught the possessiveness of it.

"Lucky me," Rei said, her brows knitting together.

****

The five girls had already found their favorite, affordable place to eat out at. Minako dragged Rei along, hoping the other three wouldn't catch them being avoidant. She would blame it on Rei anyway, because Rei was more likely to need her space.

It was a Japanese noodle-soup restaurant, and it served up home-cooked goodness of ramen, udon, and soba. The two took a seat near the window, and a waitress they had never seen before came to take their drink order. She looked about their age,

"What will it be, ladies? Go ahead and make it difficult, I'm new here, so I want a challenge," the waitress never took her eyes off her scribbling pen and notepad. She wore a small nametag on her right breast.

"Sorry babe, but I just want water," Minako said.

"Reverse psychology _does_ work," the waitress chuckled. Minako's expression became a little sour. What did the waitress mean by that? Minako wasn't in the mood to put up with sass this semester, aside from her very own. "And for you?" The waitress still had never removed her eyes from the pad. She seemed determined to get it right.

"Uh…water, no hot water, ah, wait, sorry—," Rei looked at the nametag, "Mio."

Mio finally looked up from her pad, amused by the raven-haired girl's indecision, and Mio found a new place to glue her eyes. Rei was the most stunning girl that Mio could ever imagine in her devilish dreams. At once delicate and hard, Rei's fair skin and soft nose were at ends with her smoldering eyes and defined jaw. Mio couldn't decide whether she wanted the girl to take her, or if she would take advantage of Rei…

"Don't apologize, sweetie. You're just too cute to get mad at. I'd probably sit through you listing the entire drink menu before I was even done checking out your face alone. As for the body—"

"Rei, just pick a drink for god's sake." Minako decided without much thought that she didn't like Mio, and she wanted this Mio to spend as little time with them as possible.

"What? Okay…hot green tea," Rei was completely oblivious to the situation, so concentrated on getting the perfect beverage to accompany her meal order, which she knew before coming in, Kitsune Udon, the thick, white noodle in a fish broth with a sweet, light tofu skin topping it.

"Aw, and I would have served you sake too, cutie," Mio floated away before Minako could snap back.

"Wow, creeper girl is all up on you, Rei. She looks like an alien," Minako cringed.

"What? I thought she looked normal…"

"Are you kidding me?? Her eyes are freakishly big and far apart, and her face is so unflatteringly shaped…" Minako listed.

"Mina, you're so critical of people's looks," Rei reprimanded.

"Oh my god Rei, are you actually returning this lesbo's come-ons!?"

"What? She's lesbian? How do you know?" Rei asked confusedly.

Mio came by with the drinks, effectively silencing the pair. Unfortunately for Minako's loud voice, Mio heard everything. Mio saw Minako as a necessary obstacle to win Rei's affections, so she inwardly squealed when she intentionally poured some of Rei's tea on Minako.

"AH! What the hell!?" Minako recoiled her burnt hand, as Rei immediately took Minako's glass of water and dabbed some on her best friend's hand.

"Oh I'm so sorry! You know first tim—" Mio was cut off by how tenderly Rei treated that bratty blonde's hand. It was hardly anything. Mio had done much worse before to competition, and she could see that Minako would be the biggest competition she had had yet. Not to worry, Mio always got what she wanted.

"Don't worry about it, Mio," Rei smiled at her reassuringly, and Mio wanted to swoon. The two were ready to take their orders, so Mio did it then and there. She floated off to enter in the orders.

"She did that on purpose," Minako said.

"What are you talking ab—"

"I hate her. I hate everyone. I hate stupid lesbos and stupi—"

"What's wrong with lesbians?" Rei questioned a bit nervously. "Michiru and Haruka are lesbians, and we're fine with them." Rei hated being unsure of herself, unsure of how another person would react. She was usually very in tune with people's feelings, but Minako was her masterpiece study.

"Nothing, sorry. You know I love them. I actually see them all the time in my building," Michiru was a violin major, and Haruka visited often enough. Haruka was quite talented at the flute herself, but Haruka's time was devoted to the university's Women's Tennis Team, "but anyway, yea, lesbians are cool. Actually, I think this will pick up my mood to gossip this but, I really think there's something between Ami and Makoto!" Minako said.

"What? No way…Makoto likes to cook so much…"

"Oh don't stereotype Rei!"

"Fine. Ami is asexual," Rei said.

"You're one to talk, Rei-chan!" Minako said. Rei had the amazing self-control to not show the blush emitting throughout her body. "Proof: Motoki has been after Makoto since forever, and she has NEVER returned any of it. He's kind of a loser," Motoki never went past high school. He worked at the music store where the band had gotten all their goods. "—yea, and dorky, but he's so sweet, how could she refuse him all this time? Makoto isn't cruel. And Ami, that Nephrite dude was so obsessively into Ami the last two years of high school, and he was kind of hot! She was just plain cold to him."

"They could just be the wrong guys for them."

"No, I'm right. Listen, it's just a feeling I get around them. I'm good at sensing this stuff. Remember that I'm Sailor Venus, Goddess of Love and Beauty," Minako put up the V-sign.

"Don't mix Greek myth with our inane band name."

"Don't trash on our band, Sailor Mars. You loved it too."

"Yea…I guess I did," Rei genuinely laughed at this with one of her rare smiles, and it wasn't just Mio who fell over in the background. Minako had fallen over and over again for this smile, so natural, as if there were past lives confirming it. She was so used to it that it didn't even occur to her.

"Wow, that means out of our tight Japanese community of girls growing up, only Usagi, me, and you are straight…" Minako reflected.

"Mina, I don't like guys…"

"Oh yea right! It's such a pity that you're asexual, someone as fuckable as you."

Rei chose not to say anything more at this point, afraid she might let too much out. Their food came out, and Mio did not make any more scenes, not wanting to be figured. She, however, did not stop flirting with Rei. Even Rei could not ignore the bugging feeling that she was being hit on. She was used to it in high school, the pitiful line of boys who suffered Rei's wildfire rejection. But she had never been so blatantly hit on by another female, and the repressed part of her appreciated the female attention directed only at her. After her mother died, her father left, and then her grandfather died shortly after, Rei didn't want to be left behind again. Everyone else would get married, and she needed some hope that she'd end up with someone, even if it wasn't Minako. Rei's heart painfully shrunk at the thought, but it was a pain she knew all too well. She decided that it was logical, the best thing to be accepting of this new girl's advances and see if it could work out.

After the bill was paid, Mio got straight to the point and asked if Rei wanted to maybe go out sometime. Minako grinned viciously as she anticipated how Rei would devastate the girl, but then Rei slapped Minako in the face by accepting for the coming weekend.

As the pair walked out, "What the fuck just happened Rei?" Minako tried to ask as calmly as possible.

"I'm going on a date," Rei said firmly, convincing her own self of the happening as well.

"No you're not, Rei. You're not seriously going out with that deformed witch? You're not lesbian Rei!!" Minako shrieked, turning one too many heads of pedestrians.

"I've said many times in the past that I don't like men," Rei wanted to bring the conversation to a less conspicuous level. "I told you just now. I'm not straight. I guess it's only Usagi and you then."

Minako didn't say anything as she took the helm along the sidewalk back to campus, angry tears burning her vision.

****

Mina-chan cries for only her Rei-chan! Waiiiiiiiii!!!!


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I love Sailor Moon long time.

****

Chapter IV

Minako sat alone in one of the many practice rooms in her music school. Almost every one of these rooms carried a grand piano, around fifty-thousand each. The band attended a rather wealthy university. Minako sat at a chair in the corner, sulking in her posture. It was Thursday afternoon, and Minako was supposed to be selecting a piece for her first recital. Her mind couldn't possibly be in music right now, admittedly, her second love.

Why had Rei never told Minako that she was gay? Such an important secret should not have been kept from Minako. It was about sex, romance, possibilities—everything Minako daydreamed about. Minako felt like Rei had punched her all over, her face, her stomach, her heart…it was as if Rei had been lying all along! Minako had always assumed that Rei just wasn't interested in these kinds of things, leaving the raven-haired girl asexual. Minako could readily accept having an asexual best friend, because Minako would never have to compete with losing her best friend to someone more important than herself. Minako liked being the center of Rei's world, and now Minako felt firmly that she wasn't just being selfish, because she genuinely ached from the thought of losing Rei to someone else.

And the most nagging question in Minako's mind—if Rei had been lesbian all this time, why had Rei NEVER shown any interest in Minako?? Just a tad deluded in her self-evaluation, Minako was the closest thing to aesthetic perfection. Minako was short, but she had the model body with impressive breasts proportionately. She had a small face, feisty eyes, proud cheekbones, a pointy chin, and sex hair. Sex hair. And still dainty. Minako knew Rei only ever associated with the Japanese community, so Minako was the ideal. Rei had never even made the slightest pass at Minako. If anything, Minako had shamelessly hit on Rei throughout the years, wondering if the raven-haired girl had any sexuality. Minako was put-out.

If Rei had been lesbian all this time, why did Rei so suddenly accept that Mio bitch's proposal? What was so good about Mio, that Rei would chose Mio as her first? Or had Rei done other things behind Minako's back? No…that wasn't possible. Rei could hide feelings or thoughts from Minako, but Minako's and Rei's time was shared from an early age.

When Rei's grandfather had died when she was in late primary school, Minako's parents immediately adopted the lonely girl into their family. The Ainos loved Rei. Rei was like the daughter that Minako could never be, not in a superior way, but just that Rei was Minako's foil. Rei was less talkative, but her actions compensated for her shyness. Where Minako could talk things out with Mrs. Aino if she was having a rough day, Rei could pick up the yard work or cleaning. Where Minako could humor her mother at shopping, Rei actually did play catch with Mr. Aino, the few times he wasn't at the hospital. Minako was extravagant, while Rei was very low-maintenance. Considering the comfortable wealth of the Ainos, taking in Rei was not a problem. Minako had been an only child, so Rei made the perfect addition.

When an 11-year old, shaking Rei came to the Ainos' front door for her first night as an honorary family member (she had been invited/dragged over before by Minako infinite times), the three Ainos had already fully-furnished a room for Rei. It would never properly get lived in, as Minako snuck over to sleep with Rei the first few nights. As much as it annoyed Rei, Mr. and Mrs. Aino really appreciated how they could finally have their own privacy returned, as Minako used to invade their bed. Minako was deathly afraid of not robbers, rapists, ghosts, or demons, but just of being alone. While Rei viewed loneliness more abstractly, Minako would take longer to mature into that. At any rate, Rei, the good daughter that she was, humored everyone by just moving in with a delighted Minako. Rei would sleep at the edge of Minako's single bed, turned away, and Minako would clutch a stiff Rei, nuzzling into the pleasant warmth of her back.

One way that Minako _did_ develop earlier than Rei was hormonally. Minako almost felt her mood go up as she recalled that she had some firsts of Rei. Actually, Minako and Rei shared a lot of firsts together. When Minako was 13 (Rei was still 12), she had wanted to practice kissing. Rei had been strongly opposed to the idea.

_"No Minako! Why would we practice something like that?" The two sister friends sat on Minako's bed. _

_"Because I want to be good at it! And I don't want to do this with somebody gross, so just play along for once, okay?"_

_"I always play along with your bad ideas, but I won't this time! What if your mom and dad see?"_ It would take Rei several years to call them her own mom and dad.

_"Daddy's at work, stupid! Mom is out with Usagi's mom, just shut up and do it!"_

_"I'm not doing it, because you say so. I have better things to do…"_

_"Are you scared, Rei-chan? Bok bok bok, ba-GOK!!"_

_"No, I'm n—"_

_"I think you are."_

_"Am not."_

_"You're lying."_

_"You're full of it."_

_"Look at you, you baby. I think you're about to cry. You are _so_ scared."_

_"I'm not scared of anything!!" Rei's face became a deathly shade of red. High-blood pressure was already rearing it's ugly head in her 12-year old state._

_"Then let's do it. Here, I'll start."_

_Minako moved into Rei's space, feeling a little more nervous than she thought she would have. Minako was making serious eye-contact with Rei, while Rei was practically glaring back. This did not daunt Minako as she moved just inches away, her eyes naturally drooping from Rei's hot, angry puffs of breath. Rei slammed her eyes shut in turn, embarrassed by the situation. Minako put her hand gently on Rei's right chest and shoulder to brace herself, as Rei put her right hand on Minako's pelvis, in case Minako fell on her. Minako closed the distance, quelling all nervousness as it passed onto a Rei who shuddered upon contact. _

_Minako held the kiss, not sure what to do. Rei opened her eyes from time to time, wondering why this was still going on. Rei didn't feel anything but awkwardness at the time. Minako on the other hand, didn't feel like this was enough. She liked the feel of lips enough, but something more needed to transpire like she had witnessed on a lot of bad TV. Minako opened her mouth, slightly parting Rei's mouth, as she let her tongue taste Rei's lips. Rei, out of uncontrollable reflex, shot her tongue out as if she wanted to say something in response. Rei's reaction spurred something unknown in Minako, so that Minako pushed her body flush against Rei. Minako's tongue was completely in Rei's mouth, lapping at Rei's tongue enthusiastically. Minako felt ravenous as she continued to continue the onslaught, pushing Rei taut against the bed's headboard. Rei was doing her best to comprehend the situation, until she registered that she should stop. Minako had begun to slide her hands up Rei's shirt, and Rei finally used her hand on Minako's waist to shove the consistently throughout life, smaller girl off. _

_"I don't want to do this anymore. This is…weird, Minako, I just feel weird. Sorry."Rei just wasn't sure what to feel about the whole situation. She wasn't quite disgusted, but she wasn't ready to enjoy the sensations that she would be able to in a year or so._

_Unfortunately for Rei, Minako had liked the first practice so much, that she would randomly, though it seemed regularly to Rei, demand that Rei practice with her, up until Minako started dating Zoicite. By then, Rei began to bloom, not understanding any of her matured feelings for Minako. _

_Minako theorized, "It's good for us, because then we'll be experts at making out for our future boyfriends. We'll be so good, everyone will want to be our boyfriends," as Minako murmured into Rei's ear, licking it, and moved back to work on the younger girl's, hot mouth. Rei would hesitantly follow along in these sessions, not as active, and she never let it get too far. Her personal space at the time could only be breeched so far. The practices generally happened right after they returned from their middle school, when no one else was home, the midday sun still too hot and draining to meet the others, and in the small bed they shared. They would last anywhere from ten to sixty minutes, as it seemed that Minako had a lot of endurance for these things. _

Minako felt a little bit better as she remembered these sessions vividly, feeling like she claimed some of her territory victoriously. Of course she hadn't done this "practicing," she laughed at herself, now nearly 19, in a long time. Though she flirted shamelessly with other people, Minako had always been very faithful and serious in her relationship with Zoicite. Minako really couldn't love any other way. She had immediately stopped her practices with Rei, much to the girl's relief and later dismay, but Minako would never stop being touchy with her sister friend. Rei was like Minako's right hand, no, so much more. Half of her body, her own body; Minako felt that it was every right for her to touch Rei as she pleased, as much as if she were touching herself. In order to make better space of their small dorm room, Rei lofted her own bed atop Minako's bed. Rei should have thought it better out, as Minako inevitably hopped aboard Rei's bed that very night, and now they both slept in the top bunk every night. Minako even claimed the wall, as she liked being on the inside, but she still made Rei either back up or face her as she pulled the groaning girl towards her every night. Minako's bed had become the room's couch, as Minako had moved in a nice flat screen on the other side for movies.

Minako felt a small pang of regret, as she had always stopped in the past when Rei pulled away, looking overwhelmed. Minako imagined finally getting Rei's shirt off, touching Rei in a way she couldn't resist, really making their young, teenage years memorable. Minako wouldn't have stopped if she had the chance now, spreading Rei's legs with her own, rubbing the younger girl through the fabric of her shor—

Minako flushed. She couldn't believe she was having these thoughts about her Rei-chan! So what if she had done all these things in the past? Their friendship wouldn't have been the same if they had gone too deep, so Rei had been right in stopping Minako when she couldn't herself. Minako was with Zoicite now, had been for nearly four years. Minako needed to get back to the dorm anyway, to get ready for a double date with Usagi and Mamoru tonight. Minako tried her best to focus on Zoicite, her partner for the date, but the more she tried, the more images of a certain best friend kept popping up in her mind, in suggestive positions and states of dress. Rei had grown into more than the little girl Minako practiced with in middle school…

****

It was cheap date night at their favorite noodle-soup restaurant, so Minako found herself here for the second night in a row. Not that she minded, as long as she didn't see that—

"What will it be guys?" Mio said.

Minako let the distaste roll out her mouth in an audible exhale.

"Oh, so it's my future girlfriend's good friend. How are you today? I didn't catch your name before. Mine is easy," Mio tapped at her badge.

"Minako. I'm fine." Minako felt her eye twitch madly at Mio's assumption.

"Oh Mina-chan, do you know each other? Who's the girlfriend, or um, future girlfriend?" Usagi chimed in.

"I, Mio Kuroki, am going out with the goddess Rei Hino Saturday night. Do you all know her?"

"EHHHH!?" Usagi let the whole restaurant know, knocking over her chopsticks, which Mamoru bent over to pick up or to hide his face in shame.

"I'll take that as a 'yes.' Round of waters for everyone first?" Mio charmed.

"Yes, I think that's what we all wanted anyway," Mamoru said.

"Coming right up guys." Mio went to the back. They waited in silence for her to be gone from the vicinity.

"Mina-chan, I'm confused! Rei-chan is going on a date?? When did this happen, why with a girl, I'm so confused…" Usagi said.

"It happened last night when we ate here. You should probably ask Rei the rest. I don't really know either," Minako said, sounding pretty bummed.

Usagi made whimpering noises, effectively revealing how she was rather opposed to the idea, why, the others did not know. Well, Mamoru might have known. Mamoru wanted to pick up the downer of the mood, so after getting their waters and placing their orders, Mamoru began,

"Well I'm pretty shocked too that Rei is finally dating someone. Another girl too! She always kept to herself in high school, making idiots of the guys after her."

"Mamo-chan, how did you know Rei-chan was so popular?" Usagi's mood _did_ go up in her sudden curiosity of the gossip.

"First off, you guys were the 'Sailor Planets.' Everyone wanted a piece, and I'm a guy; I hear what other guys say. I'll admit…she's got a good head on her shoulders. That's attractive. She's just…a little cold, you know?" Mamoru said.

"You mean she's got a pretty head on her perfect body, Mamoru? I bet you would have tried to date Rei-chan if you didn't fall for Usagi first," Minako challenged.

"Is that true Mamoru!?" Usagi looked at Mamoru, betrayed. He whispered reassurances in her ear, claiming that of course he'd like Rei over the catty Minako, boyish Makoto, and shy Ami. He stared firmly at Minako, a glint of provocation in his eyes,

"Well well Minako, I would say the same of you." Usagi choked on her water. Minako didn't fall for the bait though, because Mamoru took too long to deliver it.

"I always knew Rei Hino was a lesbian," Zoicite said, finally making his existence known among the four. But just as he came in, he effectively ended the conversation, as they waited for their food to come out.

When the food came out, they began to talk about less controversial subjects. Zoicite directed most of his conversation to Minako, but Minako was talented at giving everyone eye contact and attention. Usagi and Mamoru were an amicable couple as usual, and the meal turned out to be pleasant, with no more interruptions by Mio, emotionally and physically.

The couples left in different directions, as Usagi followed Mamoru to his car (he had upgraded from motorcycle after high school) to his apartment for the night. Zoicite would walk Minako to her dormitory.

Zoicite looked thoughtfully at Minako. Yes, he could imagine doing things like this for the rest of his life, except that it would only get better. Instead of spending so much time with Minako's friends, their time would be occupied by their music careers and at least, three children. Yes, he wanted a sizeable family, so that he could raise each child to be a prominent musician. He would love and discipline them dearly to form the perfect quintet plus, of a family. He needed a violinist, a cellist, possibly a flute or oboe…he would need a lot of children. Minako could do that. She was good with people, something he didn't want himself, but he appreciated in her, quietly though. He wanted her focus to be on their future, their family. They would have beautiful, talented children, and he didn't understand why that wasn't her priority. They had found love, and now they needed to pass that on to the next generation. If anything, Zoicite believed it was the most noble thing. It seemed people always matured at different rates and areas, and by in no means, terms of good or bad. Forcing a right answer, a correct way to live and love, denied the natural freewill, the varying maturations and compatibilities of people.

Zoicite held Minako's hand firmly. Minako let it be, as her thoughts had already raced home, back to the dorm, back in her makeshift bed couch. She would put on the most obnoxious, distracting movie to pull Rei out of her fervent studying, and the two would engage in the most witty and coordinated editors' commentary of the B-rated flick. Zoicite was right in his conviction that Minako and he had found love—only Minako's hadn't been realized.


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I wish I were Hino Rei.

I thought about writing out the date between Rei and Mio, but the author and readers couldn't possibly enjoy that, right? Saturday night, afterwards it is then!

****

Chapter V

Minako held her knees as she rocked frantically back and forth on her lower bunk bed couch. In her hands was a white, stuffed cat that Rei had bought (from her temple piggy bank) her for Christmas when she was six. Minako had named the stuffed animal "Art," because her new stuffed friend would always "watch" as she did colorings. When Rei and Minako were in late middle school, Rei had suggested, _"Call it Artemis. Look, the moon," _Rei had looked out their bedroom window, _"—it really _is _a goddess." _Rei had smiled serenely at Minako. Though it wasn't their regular schedule, Minako had pushed Rei automatically into an impromptu practice session. Minako had wanted Rei in that very moment. She pulled Rei atop her, relishing the pressure from Rei's weight, giving much attention to Rei's lips, holding her head in place. They fell asleep for the night after a hard practice of necking. The stuffed cat was christened "Artemis" thereon.

Minako read 2:27AM on her cell phone, and she was tempted to call the police. "Help, my best friend has been abducted and raped by a lesbian, alien terrorist. But, don't bother examining her at the hospital tonight, because I can only fall asleep with her safely at my side. I will let go of charges by washing away all evidence and filth and tuck her neatly into bed with me. Thank you." No, Minako should probably call or text Rei first before going to such measures.

But what if it was all true? What if her Rei was crying, beaten, alone? The few times Minako had witnessed Rei cry in her lifetime, Minako's heart ripped itself out to implode. Minako would catch the wave of feelings and begin to cry with Rei, sometimes sobbing harder than the raven-haired girl herself. It was unfathomable to Minako how someone as strong as Rei could ever cry. Minako felt that Rei's pain was so unbearable, that the singer wanted to absorb any of the pain possible. No, it wasn't quite like that to Minako. Much like Minako believed that Rei was inseparable from her, any pain that Rei felt, Minako could surely feel too. Once when she was not even eight years of age, she witnessed Rei get into a vicious fight with neighborhood kids. Two boys restrained Minako, as two other boys and a girl beat an unruly, tomboy Rei to unconsciousness. Minako had screamed, cried, and bit saline so hard that she had fainted instantly after Rei fell over. Minako had cried many times in front of Rei, and Rei's rigidity disappeared just for her. Rei's face would be impossibly soft, kind, and she would console Minako endlessly. Again during those middle school practices, Rei had even experimented with kissing Minako when she started crying. It had been extremely effective, as Rei's initiation shocked and flattered Minako, Rei taking charge, drying Minako's face with warm lips. Minako would calm down, sighing loudly and shuddering into Rei's neck, as Rei held Minako securely, away from suffering.

Currently, Minako was ready to open her arms to a regretful Rei. Rei coming in, depressed, broken, absolutely disgusted by her decision in going out with that wretched Mio. Minako heard a key in the door, and she stood up, wringing Artemis by its neck.

Rei snuck in quietly and would have jumped at the glaring Minako, had she not been well, Rei. Rei did not look distressed. If anything, she had a perplexing smile on her face. Minako's heart ripped itself out and tripped, not for the reason she anticipated.

"Mina…you're still up? Did you party? I agree with Zoicite when he says they're no goo—" Rei said.

"You worried me! I had no idea where you were or what could have happened to you, and NO, I wasn't partying, I haven't done anything all night!!" Minako yelled.

"Calm down, Mina, it was just a date," Rei said.

"Don't tell me you gave it all away in one night, Rei," Minako tested, prayed for her life that it wasn't the case.

"You're being silly, Mina. Let's go to bed, okay?" Rei tried to place her hand on Minako's shoulder.

Minako stepped back, "…did you guys kiss?" Minako thought she sounded so small, so pathetic.

It came off as insincere and nosy to Rei, so she responded, "Is that all you care about? What about my feelings?"

"Just answer my question," Minako said.

"…Yea. We did. Can we go to bed now?" Rei said, a little irked. She didn't want to talk about this. Though Minako felt the need to tell Rei every horrifying detail about her own relationship, Rei wasn't as privy to confessing.

"Is she better than me?" Minako succeeded in sounding coy, blanketing her nausea.

"What? You're impossible, Minako. How would I even remember!?" But Rei remembered well. So well that she couldn't understand, couldn't stop torturing herself over the fact that her prepubescent kissing with Minako was like hell's fire compared to Mio's matchstick fuse. Where was the comparison on such a scale? Rei was now very sexually repressed, just straight up, horny, and it still wasn't enough. Rei's perplexed smile walking in tonight, was a true depiction of how she was depressingly laughing at herself. Almost crazy, losing sanity. She would never love another. She would watch Minako marry Zoicite, and she would be left alone again, as history liked to repeat itself.

"Because I'm the best you'll ever have," but that didn't make it out of Minako's mouth. She didn't believe it; she didn't really know. Instead Minako said, "You're right, forget I asked. Goodnight." Minako resolved to sleep in her own bed tonight.

This was another blow to Rei's low self-esteem regarding her relationship with Minako. She took a quick shower and climbed into bed alone, for the first time in…so many years. While climbing up, she stared long at a dozing Minako, and she felt she had been reminded again that she never had a chance with Minako Aino, most popular Asian in high school, beauty queen and social star of the masses.

But it was actually Rei who fell asleep first, Minako was certain of that. She heard Rei climb up, too afraid to open her eyes in case the perceptive friend noticed. Minako made sure Rei's breathing proved that she had fallen asleep. It was then Minako allowed herself to cry. She had so many emotions rushing forth, so she could only cry. She cried, cried like she cried when her grandmother died her sophomore year of high school, cried like she would never live again. Tears drenched her pillow, and cries evolved to sobs. Her body quaked with each hiccupping release, and Minako felt as if her body wanted to be empty to match the hollowness she felt. Why? Why did she feel like Rei had just hurt her intentionally? Instead of her heart ripping itself out this time, Minako swore that Rei had just punched through and ripped it away to devour herself, chewing with mouth open in gluttonous glory. Why did Rei have this effect on her? What the hell was happening to Minako, that made her feel this broken? She just wanted to scramble up those bunk stairs and return to the safety of Rei's nightly embrace, Rei's even breathing on her hair. That routine wasn't allowed to change, but something had been opened. Something terrible, Minako hypothesized. The realization that Minako's heart had just opened, just cracked to a fraction of what Rei stewed in for the past four years, had not dawned on Minako. Things were just beginning with Minako. She continued to cry that night until the sobbing physically ached her body to paralysis. She never fell asleep, trapped in frozen despair.

****

Emo up my butt.


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: Aino Minako owns me.

I'm sorry that I won't apologize for the late update. I…don't know if I can stick with this story. I'm just losing inspiration, and I need that more for my homework. Peace.

****

Chapter VI

Only when Rei had left at 7:30am in the morning for her routine run, was Minako able to pass out. Rei suspected nothing, as she decided to just don a sports bra instead of her usual tank or tee. It was still summer season, and no one was awake at this time except church goers. They shouldn't be looking anyway.

Minako woke up at the slightest noise of Rei opening the door, returning from her run. Minako couldn't help her eyes shooting forth as they admired Rei's lined abdominals. How perfectly Rei's body fit together in sturdy slenderness; Minako reached for her own stomach, a pitiful concave.

Rei looked at Minako apologetically, "Sorry, didn't mean to wake you…did you sleep well?" Rei asked earnestly, softly in her prayer-like voice at Minako, which made Minako more angry with their situation.

"Mm," was all Minako gave as she turned over to face the wall. It was either that or pounce the pheromone-leaking Rei after her workout. God, she just needed a good bonk, and she'd be able to think about everything more clearly. Surely they were good enough friends to afford each other that? No, Minako knew her mentality just wasn't anything like her sister friend's rigidity.

Rei didn't feel she could do or say anything more, so she headed for the shower. Maybe Minako could rest more, and she could wind down before she told Minako about the plans she made for them today. She hoped Minako wouldn't explode this time, because Minako usually loved doing what was in store for lunch and the afternoon.

Rei took her cold shower and changed quickly into her outfit for the day, a fitted polo, skinny jeans. She came out to find Minako still facing the wall, and she sat on Minako's bed. Minako looked so small in bed, so helpless. She was curled in a fetal position, and Rei just wanted to hold her, shower kisses upon Minako until she was flooded with love. Rei had no idea what was bothering the singer, and Minako was being evasive. Was it Zoicite? Rei pondered the idea of burning the boy alive in one of his piano practice rooms, but then that lack of control would end up burning Minako in the process. What was wrong? Rei wanted to ask. Instead, she cautiously laid a hand on Minako's hip and said, "Bumped into Haruka and Michiru."

"…" Minako wasn't asleep, as she froze a little from the contact with Rei. But she said nothing.

"They want to catch up, said the four of us haven't talked in a while. I um…told them that we'd meet them for lunch at Mio's restaurant," Rei said. Rei thought about Mio, how quickly the girl had moved things during the date. Mio made sure Rei was pleased with every little thing, almost too much. Rei appreciated subtlety, the things that people _didn't_ say, so that she could ruminate on what they actually meant. Mio was so straightforward that Rei didn't need to guess that Mio wanted to bed her. It was flattering, but Rei wouldn't give it up so easily to anyone. Well, that wasn't entirely true. Rei would probably give everything up to Minako in one night. She could imagine it: Minako would be embarrassingly drunk, but Rei would be embarrassingly sober. Minako would be uber sexual and flirtatious and get Rei into it. Rei, having no other heart, would take it. Minako would fall asleep, possibly snoring luxuriously, well no, Minako was too graceful to snore, but yea, Rei would sob pitifully to herself afterwards. Not because she gave it up so cheaply, but because she wouldn't know paradise again. End imagination. Rei cringed at herself.

"Sure fine, whatever," Minako said shakily into her hands, clutched by her mouth. Rei couldn't stand it, but she wasn't the best with words. She slowly stretched her body into a lying position. Even more slowly, with her hand still on Minako's unforgiving hip, she scooted into the uncharacteristically withdrawn girl. Minako didn't show any sign of hitting her away, so Rei continued until she was completely wrapped around Minako's back. Rei moved her hand down to hold Minako's waist, and pull her in. Rei wouldn't mind getting a few more hours of sleep, as she inhaled the scent of Minako's hair for a couple of minutes and fell asleep.

Minako couldn't move, couldn't push Rei away, as the vivid pang of aching miss for Rei's arms, body against her lulled her back to now happier dreams with the same raven-haired girl. Minako didn't know what she was fighting, but she knew she was losing to whatever it was. Rei's breathing warmed Minako pleasantly in the air-conditioned dorm, and Minako fell asleep just a split-second earlier than Rei this time.

****

The two roommates stirred one another awake, and they shared a look of resigned silence. It was hard to be anything but perfectly content with the person you fell in peaceful slumber with, but Rei and Minako were too prideful to let things return to normal. They got ready for their lunch meeting with Haruka and Michiru separately and walked out together in that tired silence.

Haruka and Michiru arrived before the other two, and they waved at their arriving friends. Haruka and Michiru were an attractive couple, as were all of the "Sailor Planets" and associated friends. They had made a few guest appearances in some "Sailor Planets" performances, but their chosen instruments were hardly the best fit for a rock band. Michiru could only stand so much of an electric violin, and Haruka's flute?? Haruka had pretty impressive stage presence, as most of the female population, and most of these in denial, couldn't help staring at her. She was the epitome of androgyny, either a very handsome girl or a sickeningly pretty boy. She had short, artsy hair, inches over many males, and a straight body. If put out of her mischievous state, her eyes screamed, "don't fuck with me." Her girlfriend, lover, life partner, Michiru, was all female, and all gorgeous. Michiru's hair was like the waves of an ocean, and her grace was effortlessly fluid. She had a patient, tolerant, kind, and wise demeanor, and it made people wonder if she was born that way.

Such an established couple made the distance between an arriving Rei and Minako seem shocking. Haruka and Michiru shared a look as they instantly understood that something was wrong with their two favorite underclassmen. At any rate, the two continued to smile, and would set out on figuring out what was bothering their friends.

As the four walked in, they immediately bumped into Mio. Mio stopped to smile grandly at Rei, and Rei sweat-dropped, smiling with eyes shut too tightly, prompting premature crow's feet.

Before Mio and Rei could say anything, Minako sniped, "Wow Mio, do you ever take a break? I see you here _every_ time." Haruka and Michiru were rapidly taking notes in their synced heads, catching every what and why of how contentious Minako was being.

Mio tore her eyes off a Rei to size Minako up, "What can I say, I'm a hard worker. Can't have daddy pay for everything now…you must be a hard eater, since this is the what, third time I've seen you in the past four days?"

Rei buried her face in her hands as she wondered why her best friend and potential girlfriend couldn't get along. Minako got along with almost anyone, so why was she being so argumentative now?! Or maybe Mio could already sense that Rei was crazy about Minako…Rei grew nervous, ashamed of how obvious her feelings must be to everyone. At least Minako didn't seem to know.

Haruka got somewhat in between the two combative girls and asked Mio to guide them to a table. Michiru pondered why Rei didn't do anything to defend Minako, as Rei had always been so protective of the singer. Mio _had_ smiled at Rei an awful lot, so maybe they were partners in some class at school…

The four were seated, and Haruka got to the point, direct as always, "Alright Minako, why the catfight?"

"What are you talking about, Haruka? I was just greeting Rei's new girlfriend…" Minako said.

"She's NOT my girlfriend," Rei whispered angrily. Her eyes went to Mio to make sure she couldn't hear. The coast was clear. "We went on _one_ date."

"Our little Rei is growing up, wouldn't you agree, Michiru?" Haruka said.

"Rei-kun," Rei gave Michiru her full attention. Such deference was from a great respect Rei had for Michiru and her ability to stay calm no matter what. It was only natural that the two reflective ones clicked, while the two loud ones formed their own senpai/kouhai status. "—do you like this Mio?"

"Wait, hold up Michiru-san, shouldn't your first question be why is Rei into girls? Isn't that nagging at you more, something you relate to?!" Minako said.

Haruka and Michiru made eye-contact, and Haruka let it out, "Oh, we always knew Rei was a lesbian."

"What!? Did she tell you before me??" Minako looked at Michiru accusingly. She didn't like how obedient Rei became around Michiru, how Rei sometimes looked at Michiru as if she were the most beautiful person alive, how Rei might tell Michiru more than Rei told her! Michiru seemed to cast a spell on Rei, gorgeous Michiru giving advice to a bobble-head Rei, petting the raven hair…AHHHHHH.

"Minako, don't be ridiculous," Rei chastised Minako, unbalanced on her chair. She hoped it came across in a way that meant she would always tell Minako things first, not that Minako was being ridiculous for the sake of being ridiculous. Oh crap. It probably _did _come off like that. Great, Rei really needed to work on speaking more to clear up context confusion, but it was too late now…

Minako looked like she wanted to cry, so Michiru came in again, "I'm sorry Minako; I should have explained. Rei never told us anything of the sort. Haruka and I have always had the feeling that Rei didn't fancy men. So this news tonight, let's just say, it only came as a half-surprise."

"How did yo—" Rei said.

"Why a half-surpri—?" Minako said.

The roommates looked at one another, and Minako could tell that Rei's question probably deserved more attention.

"How did you know Rei liked girls?" Minako asked for Rei. Rei nodded along, pleased that Minako did that.

Haruka spoke this time, "To answer both of your questions, it's the same answer. Haha, and we're not going to tell you guys until you figure it out for yourselves!"

The roommates looked peeved by this riddle, so they opted to change the topic. Orders were taken and placed by Mio, and the four chattered happily about their college experiences.

"You know, you guys should bring back "Sailor Planets." It would be such a hit on this campus, and it's more likely to get noticed in college. You guys could make it big!"

"That's not why we played, Haruka," Rei said.

"I've been thinking about it a lot too, Haruka! I'm just not sure if the other girls would be interested…I mean, I'm the only music major, so it's just such big part of m—" Minako said.

"What are you talking about Mina? We all figured you'd be sick of singing since you do it all the time…would you really want to? Makoto and I have talked about it…" Rei said.

"YEA…OF COURSE! I wish I had known earlier! And Usagi loves doing things that involve the five of us, and then Ami will do anything Makoto do—"

"Wait, hold up there Minako. What are you implying about Ami?" Haruka asked.

"Huhu…you're not the _only_ perceptive ones! I totally think Ami and Makoto are in love with each other!!" Minako squealed.

Haruka and Michiru gave each other knowing glances again. Haruka said, "Haha, we're always one step ahead of you, little girl! I can't believe you can see that, but be so blind to your ow—" Michiru nudged Haruka.

"Haruka, can you pass me the red chili pepper?" Michiru sweetly asked.

"Wha---oh fine," Haruka looked a little deflated.

Minako rose and excused herself to the restroom, and Haruka took this chance to follow the singer. Michiru shook her head and smiled warmly at Rei.

In the restroom Haruka snuck up on Minako and shoved her aside to the wall, "Alright Minako, fess up. What's eating ya?

"Agh, Haruka, you freaking scared me, you stupid—ahhh I don't know." Minako ran her hands through her hair to keep it out of her face and rubbed her bloodshot eyes. "I'm so confused about Rei's sudden, well to me, coming out. Why Mio? She's grotesque. Rei can do so much better and and…I don't know! Why hasn't Rei liked other girls before, and most importantly, why wasn't I one of them? I'm adorable, right Haruka? If you weren't dating Michiru, you'd totally want me right?"

"No, we'd get in the worst, loudest fights. But you _are_ adorable, little one. I'm sure Rei knows that." Haruka had a tight smile, wondering how she could put this without revealing everything. "But you're practically Rei's sister, so maybe she thinks it's taboo or something. Anyway, why do you care if Rei has liked you or not?"

"Like I've been saying—I don't know. Maybe since I'm having so many problems with Zoicite, maybe because I'm in a new environment now, maybe because I need to get laid…maybe…I…like Rei? Oh god, that sounds dumb, I'm so embarrassed, I can't believe that might be true—ahhh."

Haruka smirked at this. It had finally happened; the tables were turning: Minako was falling for Rei as predicted. It was always there; Minako just had to be tripped…on her face. "Really now? Wow, you guys would make a really good couple, possibly better than Michiru and me!" Feed her ego on this subject, keep doing it Haruka. Minako gawked at Haruka. "But before you even think about what you feel for Rei, you need to resolve whatever is going on between Zoicite and you."

"Yea, wouldn't Rei-chan and I make the cutest couple??" Minako had a distracted, dreamy look in her eyes. "But Zoicite, yes, Zoicite." Awkward pause. "So…I've been meaning to ask you, Haruka, what do you think of Zoicite and me as a couple? I feel like we've been together long enough to be married, and I'm wondering if that's possibly the next step in my life?"

Haruka felt like a vein in her eye might pop. Haruka had to think about this rationally and put this as delicately as possible. She took her time too, as Minako stared at her curiously, taking nearly a minute before she said, "Zoicite…gosh Minako, being hesitant before even an engagement to the wedding has been set is not a good sign to me. And frankly, the guy has always given me the creeps, sorry. He's not very personal. Which is fine, but is he even personal with you? Oooh sorry. But you know, that's only what _I _think of him. You don't have to take it so seriously." Haruka paused, but went on in her genuine care for Minako, "Look dreamer, romantic idealist," Haruka smiled gently at Minako, "does Zoicite make you ache when he's gone, make your heart sing when he's near? Is he your—what is that word you always threw around like an idiot—soulmate?"

"…I'm comfortable with him. You know how lazy I can be. And and…" A certain raven-haired girl's words came to mind, "—he'll be a good father."

Haruka couldn't control her ire, cornering the much smaller girl, "You're lazy?! You're too lazy to work for the most important thing to you?! You're comfortable with him, but not that he comforts you?! Oh everyone knows who comforts you, everyone knows who makes you cry, who makes you sing for godsake!!"

In that rare, small voice that had recently been increasing in frequency, "What are you saying? What's wrong with Zoicite?" Minako was frightened, her space invaded, her feelings on display. She was shivering, closed into herself, wanting the interrogation to end. She wanted, no prayed, and how seldom she prayed, for…Rei, forever and always Rei…to protect her from these feelings slowly devouring her.

Haruka sighed, hands trapping Minako on both sides of her head against the wall, leaning her entire weighted argument into this ignorant, frightened child, "He's not Rei." Haruka knew she had given too much, that Michiru would rebuke her when she found out. It couldn't be helped. It was too painful to watch her two favorite, little sisters, hacking at each other's hearts.

The bathroom door opened, and crazy fate, it was Rei. She looked at the scene and took a gliding step towards Haruka, pushing the older girl away. Rei felt identically about Haruka what Minako felt for Michiru. The best friends could be a little too possessive at times.

Rei held a gradually relaxing Minako in her arms and shot a questioning, death glare at Haruka. Haruka put her hands up, laughing slightly and even a little frightened of the enraged raven possibly lunging at her. Sure, Rei was a lot smaller, but the girl sure did emit a powerful aura. Rei let it go as she cooed a Minako who was replaying Haruka's words in her foggy mind. Minako's shaking subsided a bit as she decided to take a new plan of action. She laid her head on Rei's shoulder, as Rei stroked her back and her hair. Minako wanted to purr.

Minako would confront Zoicite and ask him if he thought they belonged together. He would have to prove it, because she was losing confidence in them. But defying what Haruka said, she would simultaneously be driving Mio away from Rei. It was dawning on Minako that Rei could not be passed, that Rei could be even more than Minako ever dreamed of.

****

I'm so out of touch. What am I doing?


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: "Fighting evil by moonlight. Winning love by daylight…" I don't think I watched the Japanese version. I also think the fact that the American theme song used a chorus of young girls who can't sing in tune, especially in "Never running from a **REAL** fight," actually has a really effective charm on viewers.

Whatever songs I use for "Sailor Planets" are legitimate Sailor Moon songs. I'm getting them off . Check it.

****

Chapter VII

"Oh no, I forgot! I can't wear nail polish when I play!!" Usagi cried at her now uneven paintjob of pink.

"Hey Down Syndrome, use a pick," Rei tossed a spare one to Usagi who fell over trying to catch it midair. Luckily, Ami was nearby to catch Usagi's electric guitar before it fell as well.

"Rei-san, why do you call Usagi that? It's rather harsh," Ami said, leaning Usagi's instrument on the couch. They were in the common room of the three girls' dorm.

"It's that dumb smile, and her face _is_ pretty round…" Rei remarked, eying an unaware Usagi, indeed smiling after fetching the pick out of her tangled pigtails. She rolled her eyes at the sight and started strumming an old classic of "Sailor Planets' absentmindedly on her acoustic guitar. It just happened to be the debut duet song of Sailor Mars and Sailor Venus, where Rei sang more than just backup for the first time. Along with her strumming, Rei began to hum her part of the song,

"…first date was a Sci-Fi movie.

Next, my head was about to flood.

Whatever this girl's feeling

is surely, nothing beats it.

I want to take a drive and kiss.

Even with a little headache, I like to remember—"

And then, on cue at the chorus, Minako joined the raven-haired guitarist,

"Say you love me, say I'm dear.

Little by little, I easily get used to you.

When we quarreled and passed each other.

I will suffer exactly that, if you want to visit.

I love your heart,

Straight out, I believe you want to visit no matter when."

The last note resounded, none of that pitchy uncertainly that should have come from a year without practice. The quiet three smiled at the two singing and then to one another. How natural, how obvious.

"Wow guys, you sound really good!! We don't even need to practice—let's go get cake!" Usagi shouted.

Usagi's last comment ignored, "Yea, you guys sound ready for performance. What was that song called again? Did Rei write that one, Minako, after you begged her to do a duet with you?" Makoto asked.

"'Say You Love Me,'" Ami came in. "Yes, Rei wrote it after Minako…suggested...Rei make use of her dormant singing ability. But now that I'm actually dissecting the lyrics, why did Rei write abo—"

Minako started the song again, impatient to sing her part of the song,

"What head is confused

when it remembers your smile?

I saw you in my dreams, but you're not my type.

Your magic eye speeds up my heartbeat.

If I don't do anything, I can stay near you.

The clouds, the road, and the mind leave singing."

Minako and Rei continued to sing their combined chorus together.

Meanwhile, Makoto said, "Hah, oh Ami-chan, can you imagine little old Rei writing these lyrics for Minako and then herself? She totally nailed them. I hate to admit it sometimes, but Rei is devilishly bright. Well, sometimes. She's totally missing it now."

"Now Makoto, we always sang about love, so it wasn't out-of-place for those two to be singing that song," Ami said.

"Yea yea, we sang for love, blah blah. But love doesn't have to be romantic! They could have sung about friendship or family!" Makoto said.

"I like _love_ love songs the best!" Usagi chirped.

"So are we going to play old stuff or write new love songs then?" Minako joined the conversation, only catching Usagi's outburst.

"We should probably use our old songs as promotion, and if we're successful, we invest in writing new material," Rei said. She said this out of sheer knowledge that she was the lyricist of the group. Makoto only really liked to beat the drums up, Ami's intelligence fueled her verbosity but overshadowed her creativity, and Usagi was…Usagi. Rei really was poetic by nature, so it worked for the band. Minako often paired up with Rei in writing songs, and together they produced moving ballads and catchy tunes.

The band nodded in accordance with Rei, their behind-the-scenes leader, and the limelight leader of the band glomped Rei on the large couch, practically climbing into the guitarist's lap, "You're so smart, Rei-chan! What would we do without you?" Minako patted at the hollow of Rei's chest bone, while bringing her face embarrassingly close to Rei's face.

Even for Rei, the public gesture seemed more outrageously flirtatious than usual, and Rei tried to ignore the fact that Minako was straddling her left thigh. The other three tried not to stare as they picked up their own instruments, running through what they remembered of their music repertoire. With Usagi's attention span, they would move to trying on their old outfits. Usagi could not button her skirt up anymore, and Makoto joked that Usagi had been eating too many sweets. Ami suggested Usagi go running with Makoto and Rei. Usagi cried. The usual.

Minako continued her invasion on Rei's lap as she fixed Rei's collar that didn't need fixing and changed topics so quickly that Rei felt like she was in a whirlwind.

"…mhm, sure Rei-chan. Yupyup. So…when's your next date with Mio?" This time Minako paused, so Rei was prompted to speak.

"Oh…uhmmm, probably Saturday night again. She doesn't work that shift, and I don't go to parties anyway," Rei said matter-of-factly.

"Hm…you've always been a serious person, Rei-chan." Minako's tone lacked sincerity, but she meant it nonetheless. "You wouldn't just date casually—is she the one?" Minako said almost mockingly.

"What? I don't know Mina...it's my first time dating anyone, so I think it's too soon to say," Rei said.

"So she certainly wasn't love at first sight. Do you believe in that?" Minako said offhandedly. But she was curious, not sure how she felt about it herself.

Rei chewed on it for a while, and she answered Minako earnestly, "Yea...I think there's such a thing as love at first sight. But it's not always obvious. Sometimes people can be blind to their own feelings. If the love happens to grow to obvious proportions, then it'll just click."

"Are you telling me you didn't fall for me first sight?!" Minako partially feigned hurt.

"I did not, vain one," Rei partially lied in return. As she had said, she wasn't aware that her absolute pull to Minako as a child was probably due to some premature love, the love that lasts beyond friendship, into a family and lifetime spent together.

"How cruel, Rei-chan. What if I had been secretly harboring romantic feelings for you since I first met you, but I was too afraid of rejection?" Minako provoked. She didn't like how she could hear a crack in her voice, as if she was possibly revealing a secret to herself.

"Then why would you date Zoicite?" Rei stated, like a rhetoric question, deadly serious. Minako arms had been wrapped around her, hands playing at the back of Rei's neck. Her hands stopped.

"Oh my goodness…" Dawning came upon Minako's face like a dark sky. "I can't believe I never figured this out…y-yo-you!!" Minako said, wagging a pointed finger at Rei's crossing eyes.

"I don't know what you're talking about!" Rei said panicked, not ready to bear Minako figuring out her feelings for her.

"I can see it in your eyes. It's so obvious now…" Minako leaned into Rei's eyes.

"Just say it then, God!" Rei shouted.

"You never liked Zoicite. You never answered my questions or ever really gave an opinion about him," Minako said calmly. "That's one of very few things you share in common with Haruka—"

"I want nothing to do with her. What did she do to you in the bathroom last Sunday? I'll reign hell on her. She thinks she's so tough; I'm not scared of her in the least," Rei spoke with absolute conviction, so strong that it eclipsed her fear that Minako had unearthed her feelings for her.

"Well you guys are both important to me," Minako chose to ignore Rei's comment to skim over what Haruka discussed with her earlier and to get them back on her track, "and I want to know why you both dislike my boyfriend so much. So 'fess up," Minako stared Rei down.

Rei seethed through gritted teeth and waited a moment before she spit out, "He's not good."

"Okay Rei, you're going to have to give me a little more than usual this time," Minako urged, moving her hands to hold Rei's face. It produced a feeling of warmth and pressure on Rei. "How is he not 'good?'"

Rei's face grew hot under the contact, the seriousness of the situation, and she gave in, "He's not good…enough. For you," Rei whispered the last part.

"What did you say, I didn't hear you, silly," Minako patted and rubbed lightly down Rei's cheek, jaw, to her neck. Minako began to feel the rumbling of Rei's throat, as if Rei were about to growl.

"He's not good enough for you!" Rei choked out, not loudly, but it sounded painful nonetheless. She looked and felt like she wanted to cry.

As bad as Minako felt for putting Rei in such an uncomfortable situation, she earnestly had to know this, "Who do you think is good enough for me then?" She wanted to laugh at the absurdity of the idea, that Rei could think so highly of her. Rei didn't answer her immediately, so Minako went off-hand without filter, "I don't think Mio's good enough for you." Rei eyed her warily and then let her eyes droop again.

"No one, alright? No one. And Mio has nothing to do with this now," Rei said petulantly, pouting about her feelings. Letting the Mio comment go, Minako had to physically anchor herself from kissing Rei's unnervingly, adorable expression, but the main pull was that Rei seemed to esteem Minako so highly.

Minako sunk her forehead into the easy curve of Rei's neck. In turn, Rei linked arms around Mina's back, pulling Minako into a safe hold. "Well that sucks. Do you really think I'm meant to be alone then…?" The question hung in the air like big-city pollution. Rei could ignore it, but she'd be heartless to not take action.

"No. I'm just selfish," and I want you all to myself, Rei thought miserably. Minako gasped, unsure of whether Rei wanted her to be "alone" with her in bitter-buddy glory, or that maybe, maybe Rei wanted her for herself? Minako's heart instinctively clung to the latter, and she felt dizzy. "Look, I never say anything, because…I just want you to be happy. If he makes you happy, then I'm a horrible person for saying otherwise. Don't listen to me."

But Minako listened; she always cherished every jewel that left Rei's mouth. And Minako knew, knew that as the tears picked up in falls, knew that as her heart beat traitorously, she knew she wasn't happy with Zoicite.

****

DIE STORY DIE. sigh.


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: Sailor Moon not mine.

I meant to say last time that the lyrics were from . Literal translations from Japanese read quite awkwardly. I think also in an older chapter, I accidentally called Minako a blonde. Freudian slip. She's all Japanese here.

****

Chapter VIII

"We need to talk."

Zoicite squinted at the bad cliché of the situation, and he played his special charm, "Or why don't you sing your distress to me, and I will hammer out my misunderstanding of you." He fingered notes in a lazy manner, but she knew how much intent he put behind his music.

"I think being direct will save us time. Just close the damn thing and talk to me for once," Minako had planned to be gentle, considering what she was about to do, but nothing he did was manageable to her nowadays.

Zoicite bit down the scowl that needed to erupt from his face, and he obeyed Minako as he shut the grand piano. He turned to face her, crossing his legs while placing his hands upon them. His stare was as severe as a glare. "What do we possibly need to talk about, Minako?"

"Us, Zo. We…this…" Minako begin to gesture frantically back and forth between the two of them, "it's not working! Look, you don't even want to talk to me, and I'm. your. girlfriend. You'd rather play _that_ all day," she rolled her eyes to the piano, hands holding the sides of her head.

"Minako, now just wait a minute. Calm down," Zoicite commanded, grasping the situation. "We've been dating for nearly four years, so it's understandable that we don't always need to communicate every inane detail to one another."

"I've known the girls since _before_ school, and we talk about every 'inane' detail!"

"I'm NOT one of your girlfriends. If you wanted to talk, you should have let me known."

"I don't want to always have to tell you. Since we've been going out for nearly four years, I'd expect you to just know how I was feeling," Minako wound down to a sad note.

"What am I—psychic?!" Zoicite bellowed, his hands flailing in the air, ruining his composed state.

"Rei-chan almost always knows what I'm feeling!" and maybe she's psychic, Minako thought, somewhat amused, though subdued from the atmosphere.

"Enough with your friends! Did they put you up to this? I bet it's _her_…girlfriends, yes, they're there to fix your feelings. Me," Zoicite stood up, pointing at himself, looming towards Minako, "I'm your boyfriend. I handle your family, your future life. We're a team, not some common-interest fanclub." Zoicite spoke strongly of his belief. And with a lot of bite. Minako found him to look like a puffed up parrot.

"Ew…did you really just say that?! 'Fix my feelings?!' That is such a…_guy_ thing to say! My girlfriends may not always be successful, but they try to UNDERSTAND my feelings. You…you're never going to understand me," Minako shook her head back and forth, hurt eyes regarding Zoicite, "You don't even know how to try."

Zoicite brought his hand to his forehead as if a headache came on, then went to shaking his head back and forth as well. Not listening entirely to what Minako said, "Are you cheating on me? You sound like you're with someone else. Like you've been possessed."

Minako sighed. "Well, since it's never going to work between us," this made Zoicite raise one of his eyebrows and scoff, "I guess I should be honest with you. I think I may have feelings for…I wonder if it's always been obvious, but I didn't know…"

"Just spit it out," Zoicite pushed.

"Rei. Hino Rei. Of all people…" Minako lulled.

"Are you serious? Ha ha ha, oh, then we're definitely not breaking up." Minako's mouth fell open at his audacious response. "So you have a delusional crush on your best friend? You're not even lesbian. Even if your feelings are true, do you really believe it could work between you two?" Zoicite had this speech somewhat planned from early on. He had always suspected that Minako would realize some deeper feelings for her admittedly, attractive but difficult-as-hell best friend, so he devised a strategy if ever such a thing came to stumble upon their relationship. "She…" He needed a good argument. To combat the way they stared at each other, to combat how much chemistry they had between another, to combat anything that would ruin his future family, "She suddenly came out as lesbian to that waitress girl. You had always been the most physically affectionate with her, and if anything, you served as an annoyance for her, a reason for her to stay closeted. She's never liked you like that, because she can't stand to be with you in a romantic relationship. You guys are complete opposites, not in any way complimentary, and she hid it from you all those years so you wouldn't get ludicrous ideas."

With a look of absolute rage, "Hey I don't believe Rei's like that…uhh, we're definitely complimentary—we're best friends!!" Minako shouted in distress.

"And what if you tell her and she rejects you? How do you think that would affect your friendship? She'll probably distance herself from you, so you won't be led on. Your friendship will never be the same…and what would you do without a friend, no, a sister like her?"

Minako stood frozen in her spot, looking as if she were an asylum patient. Her irises were lost in the white of her eyes, and she choked on anything to say back to this…monster? Man of harsh reality?

"You're best off with someone stable like me, someone who will never break your heart. You come here, wanting to break up with me, ready to break my heart. And that's okay. You can always break my heart, but I'll never break your heart. Minako, I've been constant all our time together. Rei…she's unpredictable, a firecracker. She's a fine friend alright, so it's best to keep her as that. You couldn't stand losing her right…? You should think about it," Zoicite said with finality, the most he had ever said to her at one time.

Minako shot her hand at the door handle, not able to withstand any more. She was back to shaking, wet-faced, as she was prone to nowadays, and she said with uncertainty, "Y-yo-you think just because I can't have her. Just because I can't have Rei-chan for myself that I should take you instead?!" Minako's voice was gaining confidence. "What kind of messed up logic is that?! You may be right about her, Zoicite, but I'm not wrong about you. I said what I had to say, and I'd rather be alone than be with you."

"Hmph, _you_, be alone? Minako, stop kidding us. Look, just think about it. You know where I'll be. And we're not done." Zoicite swept his long bangs out of his eyes and sat back at his bench. He swung open the cover and began pounding out one of his recital pieces.

Minako left in a huff, and while it seemed flaky, emotional, monthly, she knew that she would never see him as her boyfriend again.

****

Short because…oh hell, I'm trying okay?


	9. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: SM not mine.

I'm not skilled at taking one point of view, so I hope that you continue to bear with me as I weave not-so-seamlessly through people's consciousnesses.

****

Chapter IX

Minako looked over her outfit in the public restroom mirror of the Civil Engineering building. She was the only one inside the restroom, because it was oceans separated by class hours, 7:35pm, on a Saturday night. _The_ Saturday night that Rei and Mio were having their second date. Just outside the building, the couple were cozily perched atop a large, plateau structure meant for viewing pleasure by tours made on campus. They were having a picnic, Minako seethed to herself.

She wiped some smeared eyeliner off her cheek, and nodded in approval of her outfit. She was fitted in all black, snug-fitting clothes with easy maneuverability. Her athletic top was borrowed from Rei's drawer, but hopefully Rei would understand that such measures were necessary. The eyeliner detracted from the outfit by bringing out the brightness of her eyes, but she had to look good in case she was caught. And with Minako's deficit of subtly, she was likely to be found. But damnit, she was going to outdo that Mio by a hundredfold with more than just her superior natural beauty!

Minako slinked out of the bathroom, close against the walls, as if she needed to hide from someone inside the building. But maybe she did. She couldn't shake the feeling that someone figured out her devious plan, that someone was watching her make a fool of herself. Minako would jump at any shadow she saw, and she believed she had heard noises here and there that were out of place. No, just calm down, girl. Only you would do something this brilliantly stupid. She looked at the black beanie in her hand, also Rei's, and decided against it. It would ruin her hair, which was already black enough.

Alright, better set foot outside first if I want a better view of Rei-chan's date. Minako managed to quietly exit out of the heavy door, using most of her weight to gently shut it. She stepped out onto the lawn, but it was a terrible view of the couple. The structure they were sitting upon was too high up. She could only see the glow made from candlelight. Minako couldn't remember a time when Zoicite had ever taken her on a picnic, especially one so clever as this. She sneered at the thought of Mio planning it, but she melted at the thought that it was Rei's idea. Rei. Sigh. She wanted to see her dear friend so badly. Minako spotted a tree of perfect viewing level of the structure, so she made a dash for it, fifty meters from the couple.

The tree was not the easiest of trees to climb, but the volleyball muscles and determination in Minako allowed her to scale it quite skillfully. When she could finally see the two girls, she wanted to scream at the sight. Mio was feeding Rei some sort of dessert. Rei looked rather embarrassed by the whole ordeal, but Mio's forcefulness eventually got Rei's mouth to open access for the spoon. It went on for a few minutes, enough time for Minako to want to gouge her eyes out, or better yet, stick the candlesticks in Mio's bug eyes. Mio whispered something in Rei's ear, which made both of them laugh. Minako desperately needed to know what was so funny, so she climbed out to the closest branch to the plateau structure, leaning forward.

And then Minako felt her heart scream, blood needing to burn through her ears and face. Mio grabbed Rei by her long, low ponytail, pulling Rei in for a sudden kiss. Mio never let go of Rei's hair, and Minako couldn't bring herself to tear her gaze from this apocalypse. Her Rei-chan…was being grabbed by her beautiful hair, like some trafficked slave, and letting her face be sucked by this alien! Minako wanted to look away, wanted to pretend that Rei would forever be locked in her emotional barriers, safe in her glass case that Minako rubbed her fingerprints greedily over. No one could touch Rei. Rei was…hers. How did Minako never realize that she could never love anyone more than Rei Hino? She could love and depend on others, but Rei was an absolute truth of her life. What did Minako have to do to ensure that Rei would always be hers?

A strangled whimper escaped Minako's throat accidentally, and she slapped her hand over her traitorous mouth, wide-eyed. The smooching couple stopped at the sound, searching for the source. And then something rolled out of the bushes behind the tree. Minako snapped her head back too fast in response, losing balance due to her jammed senses from the traumatic viewing, and she fell from the lofted branch, painfully on her side, not successfully catching her entire body with her right arm and foot, as her entire body collided with the earth.

Rei stood up immediately, dirtying the clean blanket she set for their picnic with her shoes, peering down at the fallen girl. She couldn't exactly see who the victim was due to the dark clothing and hair, but instinctively, on some cosmic level, she knew and felt and bellowed, "MINAKO!?" She took off, kicking up the entire picnic setting, flipping the blanket and basket into the air, as she sprinted and leapt off the plateau, a frightening ten feet from the ground. She landed as smoothly as a gymnast and bolted to Minako, but someone beat her there. The thing that had rolled out of the bushes became a white blur over Minako.

Rei wanted to push this offensive figure out of the way until she realized it was Zoicite. Even so, she claimed the other side of Minako, crouching closer to Minako, blocking Zoicite's more passive efforts. "Mina…" Rei cradled Minako's scrunched up face, "oh god, are you okay? Can you move?"

"Itai-tai-tai," Minako mewled, curling into a ball.

"Okay, it appears you can. Hopefully nothing is broken…" Rei ignored the stinging in her left ankle from jumping so high off. She gathered the small girl in her arms, and Minako relished the warmth and contact of Rei's midsection and her dizzy head.

Mio had finally made her way over, panting, "What the hell is this!?—some demented double date!?"

Rei shot an unforgiving accusatory glare at Zoicite, irate that he let Minako hurt herself if he was with her.

"What? I was just following her. She was unaware," Zoicite said calmly as if it was nothing out of the ordinary.

"You were stalking your girlfriend!?" Rei shrieked, making Minako cringe at what would inevitably come next.

"Oh great and wise Hino-sama…what do you think Minako was doing? And I'm surprised she hasn't informed you yet, but she doesn't want to be my girlfriend anymore," Zoicite replied with the smallest hint of hurt. It was devastating for him.

"Wait—what!?" Rei's heart caught in her throat. A hurricane of questions stirred within Rei, but there was just too much debris to wade through in one sitting.

"Oh hush, Zo, just what are you doing here!?—and wearing all white!?" Minako said, wanting to project blame onto him. And he always wore white.

"Zo? You throw that around so casually, as if you still care," Zoicite frowned. Minako could not say anything in return. "I just wanted to know what you were doing on a Saturday night, usually spent with me. So I followed you following _her_." Zoicite only nodded his head in Rei's direction. He couldn't look at that witch. He was afraid he might crush her face in his powerful hands.

Alerts flashed in Mio's mind, so she needed to scatter the building climax, "Sounds like a lovers' quarrel between Minako and you. Why don't you two take it somewhere else instead of crashing our date." It wasn't a question; it was a demand.

And to prove that Minako had come out unscathed from the fall, she did what Zoicite self-controlled. She lunged at a surprised Mio, effectively pinning the snarling Mio with straddling legs on her wrists and lower body. Minako grabbed handfuls of Mio's hair, returning the "display of affection," holding Mio like a bound prisoner to the dirty ground. Minako's eyes were unfocused and she was practically hissing at the pitiful Mio. Zoicite chuckled darkly at this show.

"Minako, what are you doing!?" Rei went over to pick Minako off, like a mother cat gathers her kitten by the scruff of its neck. Minako let go of Mio with a yelp, being held up by Rei, stretching her shirt. Minako pouted not out of guilt for assaulting Mio, but for the way Rei was certainly judging her. "Why are you attacking Mio!?"

"Because sh-she k—" Minako couldn't say it. Not with everyone staring at her like that. How could she say that she attacked Mio because she kissed Rei? How many times had she kissed Zoicite and more these past four years? What made her good enough to claim Rei? Minako was old news, used. Rei was the essence of pure, had so much to offer, and Minako just wanted it all to herself with nothing to give in return. Minako wasn't worthy. She was too late. What did Minako have to do to ensure that Rei would always be hers?—Minako never had Rei to begin with. Minako bowed her head in dejected defeat.

Rei waited patiently for Minako's response, but it never came. "That's so unlike you to hit someone. In fact, I don't think I've ever seen you do that…you're a better person than that. Maybe Zoicite and you really _do_ need to talk this out somewhere else." Rei helped Mio off the ground, holding her hand as she got ready to leave with her, "Call me if you hurt. We may have to take you to the hospital. If not, I'll check you thoroughly in the room when I get back, and we can talk, okay Mina…-chan?"

Minako flinched at the especially intimate name calling. It was the worst time to have it rubbed in her face that Rei loved her dearly…as the mature, younger sister.

Mio easily walked in step with Rei, the two walking back to their picnic. Mio was already laughing, "Or maybe you won't see her till morning. I feel like I need company after that scare. Crazy bitch, why was she spying in that tree?"

Minako blanched. Not at being called a "bitch," eh, she had heard that a couple of times in high school, but the knowledge that Rei might spend the night with someone else. Minako had accepted defeat, but acceptance was an ongoing process. Imagining that someone else would touch, _know _Rei's body like that…made Minako shudder as if someone were to rape her own body. Minako bit her own tongue until it bled so that she wouldn't have to think about it. It didn't work. Images of Rei seductively pulling someone else into bed gave Minako physical pain all over her body.

"Mio, don't call her that, ever," Rei said sternly. It was hard to hear, because they were climbing up the structure, but Minako was sensitive to her…sister's voice, "I'll talk to her later about it." Minako begged that later meant tonight.

"So…we'd better respect 'Rei-chan's' wish and leave them alone," Zoicite offered weakly.

Minako nodded absentmindedly and moved with him. But she had no intention of spending the night with him.

"Are you okay?" Zoicite looked at Minako with curiosity.

She was still speechless.

Zoicite made sure they were mutually out of the eavesdropping radius, "Why do you love her?" He didn't ask this out of any cruelty this time, just masochistic curiosity.

Love. Oh god. She loved her, didn't she? Had she ever used those words on Zoicite? He had said them to her a few times, but she had always giggled past the topic. Yet he just knew Minako loved Rei. Yeah, he was right, she loved Rei. Why?

"I…I don't know why," Minako said, tears falling into her mouth, drowning her speech. "It just happened. It's like something, something beyond my being, beyond this world has invisibly chained me to her."

"You won't give up if she rejects you?" Zoicite didn't necessarily believe that Rei would reject Minako, far from it, but he just wanted to know how Minako would act.

Choke. "I don't think I have a choice. I've been so blind…Zo, do you think I've always loved her?"

Zoicite's hands were intertwined in front of him, gripping tighter than even his calloused hands could handle. "Yes. Idiotically so." He listened to Minako sob, not letting himself be affected by her agony anymore. But he had his own, he still had something to hold onto, "Do you love me? Not that fairy-fated love you have for Rei, but did you ever love me?" He had to know. He needed to know what to do next.

"Oh Zo…I don't know. Maybe?" Minako was stuttering in mind and speech. Her face was black from the ruined cosmetics. "I'm so sorry; I really didn't mean to do this to you! I didn't expect things to turn out like this, and it's not like I'm any better now! I'm a horrible person; I know!"

And he did the impossible, something Minako never believed she would see. It almost served as a dam for her waterworks. Not just wetness, but streams of saline dug down Zoicite's statuesque face. His head was seizuring like a bobble-head, and he howled in this transcendental agony. His cry could have been a bell for changing classes, but no one was around on campus to witness his shattering spirit. It was all on Minako. He brought his quaking, now-fragile hands to his ears and cheeks.

"Well know this, Minako! Y-yo-you've broken my he—me! You've wasted nearly four years of our lives with your careless identity crisis." There was terrible wrath in his voice, but even still, his constant crying overpowered. "You've used me, and I don't think I ever want to see you again! You sick, twisted bitch, immoral!" Second time tonight for Minako, but this calling out would scar for a lifetime. "And I give up, because you won't love me, you say you 'can't.'" Zoicite looked as if he would pummel her soon, but he truly wasn't a violent man. "Know this, Minako: I'm not letting you go out of love. I hope to the heavens that Rei Hino NEVER loves you back. Feel my misery!!!!"

And Zoicite walked out of Minako's life, a broken man in tears.

****

Maybe I've justified Zoicite's pain enough to not write Rei&Mina together. I jest.


	10. Chapter 10

Disclaimer: It's implied considering the medium I'm publishing through.

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Chapter X

Rei burst into the room with a first-aid kit held out in front of her. She looked heroic in a comedic sort of way. Minako's face flushed at seeing Rei arrive back to their dorm before midnight, relief making her sweat her like aerobic kickboxing. Rei was flushed from running from the school parking lot, but Minako was also only wearing a camisole and thong. And a stuffed Artemis, formerly known as Art, was dangling from Minako's hands. Rei almost fell over.

"Rei…" Minako began.

"What are you wearing!?" Rei practically shouted, waving her hands and kit all over the place.

"See these sick bruises?" Minako turned to the left to show Rei the right side of her body. Cool colors of green, purple, and blue marred her otherwise fair, nourished skin from her calves to her small, but nicely-shaped bottom.

A stitch in Rei's heart sent her scurrying to Minako's side, guiding her to a lying position to better inspect. "This looks terrible…"

"Thanks sis," Minako deadpanned.

"—against your perfect skin." Minako had nothing to say back to that. "That smell…oh, you applied some of mom's herbal medicine?" Rei asked. She also tried not to stare at Minako's alert nipples, practically waving at her through the thin top.

"Reminds me of home and growing up…even if the stuff doesn't work and reeks." Minako said.

"Haha yeah, I mean, dad's a doctor, but we still use these ancient, untested, Eastern remedies," Rei rejoined with the memories.

"Did you get that," Minako pointed at the kit, "from daddy?"

"Oh…maybe he put it there. But I'm pretty sure it came with our car. I found it in the trunk, and we've never had to use it before. The school's health center is closed on weekends," Rei said.

"It's fine; I'm all taken care of, thanks to mom secretly packing her herbal goods in one of our boxes, see?" Minako forced a smile. Rei nodded demurely in turn and put the kit aside. Seated at the edge of Minako's bed-made-couch, Rei leaned into the curve of Minako's lying position and let her hand rest on her ankle. Rei slowly began to trace the length of Minako's bruise. Minako was extremely thankful that anatomy placed erratic hearts far from the legs of the body. But she couldn't help the sharp intake of air when Rei moved all the way to where her normal underwear usually covered.

"I'm sorry, did I hurt you?" Rei looked at the singer worriedly, but she didn't move her hand despite that. Minako shook her head, eyes irresistibly drawn to the contact of Rei's hand and her bum.

"So…" Minako was just saying something. She couldn't think. She sort of just wanted Rei to push her on her back and take advantage of the situation. Unfortunately, Rei would _never_ do something so audacious. Minako hated that part of Rei right now.

Rei thought of where to begin. There were so many things she wanted to ask, but she probably wouldn't ask them all. She wasn't one to pressure others, but there were too many blanks in her logic after tonight. At the very least, she would cover two subjects, and not deciding between the two, "What were you doing in that tree? An-and why don't you want Zoicite to be your boyfriend any more!?" Rei let her voice crescendo instead of outright frightening the already wounded girl. Rei moved her legs up to the couch, hand still on the singer, moving so that she was also lying down, facing her. While Minako was just letting her head fall to the bed, Rei held her head up with her right hand and elbow.

"I broke up with Zo," Minako started with the easier question, well, for her.

"Fffffu-what!?" Rei's right arm slipped from its pick, and her left hand glided off of Minako's bum to catch her weight from completely collapsing onto a surprised Minako. Rei was hovering above Minako in a push-up position, except that their legs had become tangled with Rei's leg in between Minako's legs especially close for comfort. Rei's left leg twined determinedly around Mina's right thigh…The placement altogether left them taut against each other's increasingly wet selves.

Well, I guess I _did_ ask for this, Minako crooned to herself as she knew that her blush could not be hidden at this distance, with Rei's face inches from hers.

Rei wouldn't let this embarrassing situation eclipse her burning curiosity. But her damn desires were burning too as her periphery caught Minako's chest heaving slightly, panting and flushed, probably from being winded by Rei. Great, she shoved Minako. Rei would beat herself up later for this. "When did this happen!? …Why didn't you tell me you were going to do this?" Rei quieted down, realizing she didn't need to raise her voice if Minako could practically taste what she was saying. Rei twitched, feeling like she needed a cold shower down there, as she thought about kissing Minako at this vantage point.

"You seemed busy with your own stuff…I wasn't even sure going in that it would really happen. Thursday, it happened Thursday. You know…I'm not very firm when it comes to my feelings. They're all over the place! But…I think I learned a lot from it all. Hopefully, I've grown in some way," Minako said sadly.

"Even if you broke it off with him, why do you still seem so down about it? Shouldn't you be relieved?" Rei asked with bias.

"I hurt him, Rei, I really fucked it over. It wasn't some clean break."

"Oh."

"He cried, oh god, he cried, Rei! In all the time I've known him, he's never shown me so many negative feelings in minutes, minutes!"

Rei, believing that Minako was unhappy about the breakup, couldn't help blurting out, "You want to get back together with him? Will that make you happy?"

"Rei, have you listened to anything I've said this past month!?" Minako's barb made Rei draw back, but Minako grabbed the sides of Rei's face pulling her back, "Zoicite and I are not meant to be. I'm just sorry for what I've done to him," Minako tapered off. They shared each other's understanding through a sympathetic, longing gaze.

Rei nodded into Minako's hands, comprehending, well, half of it, "You seem really repentant about it; that's really big of you, Minako."

"Eh he he huh…" Minako laughed nervously, not thinking it would be wise to mention that she was also wallowing in unrequited love for the girl on top of her.

"But sometimes you have to be selfish," Rei said, never really following any of the advice she gave to other people. "Maybe you're worried, but I'm not worried for you. I know I said earlier this week that no one was good enough for you, and I can't really take that back, but that just means you're going to get the best in the end. I have absolute faith in that, and I'll always be here to support you," Rei beamed at Mina. "—And personally assassinate anyone who hurts you." Rei was dead serious.

Minako's vocal chords constricted as she thought bitterly to herself, how can I be with anyone else if I can't even fall asleep without you? Goodnight honey, now let us go to our separate bedrooms, because I must sleep with Rei-chan. I have to see her multiple hours a day for my normalcy dose, and half of that time I'm draped around her in some way. To me, that is my life. I do other nonsense in my life, but it always comes back to Rei.

"Thanks Rei-chan. I'm going to hold you to that 'always,' even when you're married, erm, with your life partner. I have a bad dream, well that girl's just gonna have to scoot over, because remember, you were created for my selfish devices—

"Made for you and only you." Minako blinked in surprise at Rei finishing her line. Had she really said it that many times before? She thought it only ran through her head multiple times a week, not actually out her mouth. "Heh…my girl is going to hate you," Rei said.

"You know what? Get over here," Minako pulled Rei down with her so that they were both lying down, similar to how they slept at night. Minako's hands lingered on Rei's face, her elbows gently resting on Rei's chest. Minako was a little disappointed that Rei's hand went to her hip instead of her blue butt again.

"Okay Jane of the Jungle, what about the tree fiasco?" Rei hadn't forgotten. Minako found her relentless.

"I don't trust her," Minako murmured. Enough for Rei to catch.

"Well after tonight, she really doesn't like you too," Rei grimaced.

"She never gave me a chance. She totally poured that tea on me the first day we met her," Minako said.

"…" Rei chose not to respond. She wasn't too sure any more. It was possible. Mio had probably figured that Rei prayed only at the temple of Minako, goddess of everything wonderful, Venus-hime. Not to mention Mio said a lot of shit about Minako.

"Ah-hah! So you agree, I _so _know what it means when you're silent, Rei-chan, and when she kisses yo—"

"You were watching us kiss, Minako? That's just sick!" Rei shook Minako's wrist, effective removing one of the singer's hands from her face. "I always turned away when you kissed Zoicite. Thank goodness he wasn't keen on public display."

"She yanked your hair like a leash. It was messed up. Like abuse," Minako shuddered and gathered Rei's ponytail strands in her hand, letting them waterfall out as she strummed them. Not one single dead-end, but Minako found a white hair. Rei _would_ sprout white hairs earlier than she _should_ because she was the anxious type.

Rei restrained herself from sighing as Minako played with her hair, "Yeah…it took me aback as well. She can be really…forward with her actions. But it's not like I can be super critical or picky. It's not like girls look at me that way," Rei said.

"Are you freaking kidding me?" Minako bulged her eyes at Rei, in that challenging flare her eyes often took. "Girls would throw themselves at you if they knew you were gay. If you had played sports in high school, you would have suffered so much homoerotic attention. You're an alpha female that isn't overbearing, and people want to listen to you because you just ooze competence. You're also intimidatingly withdrawn, so girls would go crazy over your mysterious moodiness."

"Um, thanks? How would you have this knowledge? It's not like you associate with that crowd," Rei retorted.

"Because I am the queen of all social behaviors and love relationships, trust me. I can't get my own act together, but I see it in other people. And the winning quality: you're gorgeous. If you were butch, you'd probably scare off the girls on the fence, the bi-curious ones. If you were femme, you'd just blend in with most of the female population. But you're just a strong, unique without being pariah, woman. So girls are always paying attention to you Rei. You're definitely admired, but none of them would jump you because they think you're straight."

"You're deluded," Rei looked at her with disproving eyes, doing very well to hide her glee at Minako calling her "gorgeous."

"You don't believe me!? Gosh, SO many girls in high school wanted to get to know you, thought you were SO cool with your "fuck-off" aura and dreamy purple contacts—what happened to those?—and effortlessly toned body…ugh, FINE! I'm dragging you to LASS," Minako pointed her V-sign in Rei's face.

"What is LASS?"

"Lesbian Asian Student Society. Haruka and Michiru are in it, probably officers. They tell me it has a decent amount of members. Not saying you'll find your soulmate there…" Because I might murder her first, "—but I bet at least two girls will ask you out. I'll give you my next shipment of manga coming in soon if I'm wrong. But I won't be. I'm so certain that I won't even ask for anything if I'm right."

"You…you really don't want me to be with Mio, huh?" Rei said.

I don't want you to be with anyone. "Nope!" Minako grinned at Rei. Then she felt a pang of guilt, her conscience coming out of its frequent and prolonged vacations. "But…I talk a lot. Whatever you want in the end is what you should get. I…I know I always force my opinion onto you, but I just think I know what's best for you. God I sound like a mom. Not our mom, but some TV mom. Anyway…I would probably cut off my fingers to prove to you, stop you from being with someone that would hurt you, but I guess it'd be the same if you really loved someone who wanted to cut off my fingers…uh what did I just say? I'm confused."

"I think that fall obliterated a population of your brain cells. You're likely tired on top of that. Let's go to bed, Mina-chan," Rei ushered.

Minako let the insult go as she was bought by the affectionate name. Twice in one night! Much better than "bitch." "Mm," Minako nodded happily as she scrambled up the ladder to Rei's bunk.

"I'm just gonna take a quick shower first," Rei stood on the second rung of the ladder to poke her head up at Minako.

Minako felt a pout and tantrum coming up. She wanted to cling to Rei as much as possible tonight, and Rei could never be dirty in her mind. Cleanliness-wise. The thought of joining Rei for a shower sprung itself mercilessly to Minako's mind, but they hadn't bathed together since intermediate school. And that was back-scrubbing, something very normal to the way they were brought up. Minako should really revive that faded tradition of theirs, but their dorm shower was so small! Instead, spontaneity took over Minako as she approached Rei's head peering over the railing. Minako kissed Rei daringly close to her lips. Barely off-center, it couldn't be called a kiss to the cheek. She lingered, feeling Rei tense up. Minako pulled away after a pulse-stilling ten seconds and said to Rei, "Thank you for coming back tonight. I know you wanted to patch me up, but it's more that you're here with me. I can't sleep without you, do you know that?" Minako said it rhetorically.

"Uhm…yeahhh…Imergo…" Rei couldn't form proper sentences, or words for that matter. The intimate kiss, the shy smile on Minako's face, her _eyes_. They were glowing with so much love, a sort of magnitude Rei had never witnessed before. The beauty of it all, the joy so apparent on Minako's face, was it all because of Rei? Rei felt rusty weights letting up from her aged, tormented spirit. She was light enough to stand confidently now. Sure, LASS members, bring it! Rei wasn't just some loser who would die waiting and alone; she was strong. She was worthy. And she now had hope. Renewed hope that her love could be returned. Just maybe, Rei would always be the one Minako slept with, beside.

****

Ha, I'm making this longer, because I don't think about how to end something. I'm getting ahead of myself, but hopefully you'll be able to enjoy it more then!


	11. Chapter 11

I just want to say that while I don't directly respond to reviews made, I read them all and take them very seriously. While it might be sunshine, lollipops, and orgasms for me to incorporate all your ideas and criticisms, I've suffered before from stories that didn't flow or seem natural after too many opinions that threatened the original content of the story. So...I'll try to catch those technical errors and keep in mind your concerns. Just know that by me continuing to upload chapters, I respect you as an audience. More than your support, thank you for reading. I hope reading makes you as joyful as me.

Disclaimer: SM not mine.

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Chapter XI

LASS met on Wednesday nights at 8pm in one of the conference rooms of the student center. It hadn't been around long enough, contained less than forty members, and didn't have the funding and establishment to be a sorority.

"Minako-san, what club is it you're introducing us to?" Ami said.

"Aw ya know, I just think it's a club that you would all appreciate, _especially_ Rei-chan," Minako grinned.

"It had a funny name…what was it called?" Makoto said.

"LASS. Like a little girls' group!" Minako sang.

"Weird…but I guess it's good that I join something. I kind of only like cooking by myself or with Ami, so no to cooking club, and every other extracurricular seems like a waste of commitment," Makoto said.

Rei drew close to Minako and whispered harshly in her ear, "WHY did you drag these two? They're not going to like your implication of their sexuality, and I can just imagine poor Ami blushing her purity away!!"

The four old friends arrived at the open door of the conference. They stepped through the frame into full sight, and immediately an entire room of predatory eyes began judging, appraising, claiming each one. The band of friends _had_ been blessed with unearthly looks.

"Ano, Minako-san, what does LASS stand for?" Ami asked curiously.

"Eh he he he Lesbian Asian Students Society," Minako squeaked.

"What the hell Minako!?" Makoto exclaimed, turning on the singer.

Minako recoiled at first, but then she stepped forward ahead of them spinning back on her heel to face the three, "Hey, we need to show our support for Rei-chan!" Ami was intensely studying her shoes, Makoto looked at Minako with bulging eyes laced with turmoil, and Rei simply glared. "You said yourself, Mako, that you needed to join something. So why not this? Haruka and Michiru are in it!"

"Oh really?" Makoto loosened up a bit, not one capable of holding a grudge like a certain raven-haired fireball.

"Yeah of course!...And if you two are afraid of getting hit on, just _act_ like a couple," Minako said coyly.

"Huh, I guess that's a pretty good idea," Makoto failed to notice Minako's guile as she held her hand out to Ami. Ami's eyes shot up in panic to Makoto's hand from her shoes. An extremely embarrassed Ami put her small hand in Makoto's proffered hand, and her eyes immediately returned to her shoes. Makoto patted Ami's head to soothe her, and their normal display of friendship looked romantic to everyone else. Three hopes were dashed in the room, as Makoto and Ami became an item. Makoto turned back on Minako, shoving her in the shoulder with her free hand, "You're still a punk, you know?"

Rei's instinct alerted her to shove Makoto back, but she shook it away. Foremost, it was Makoto, one of her best friends. Secondly, Minako tricked them. Rei couldn't let the girl get away with everything.

Minako nodded severely back at Makoto, never breaking eye contact, only making it seem like she was less sincere.

Facetious vixen, Makoto thought as she led Ami in to mingle with new people. They were freshmen, so it never hurt to meet more people.

The many hopes of the club were still strong and alive in the remaining two of the band, who looked like they were having a quarrel, hopefully not a lover's one.

"What about you?" Rei said, keeping her voice low between Minako and her. "Someone's going to hit on you," Rei feared every last one would line up after Minako, "—and you're not even attracted to girls."

"Do you mean you want to be my girlfriend like Ami and Mako?" Minako blinked innocently. Rei's eyes became sharp slits, and Minako swallowed the sting in her throat, "Geez calm down. The way I see it is, I just broke up with Zoicite. I'm my own, new woman. If a sexy girl wants to hit on me, I'm not going to be rude. Anyone can be beautiful; I don't discriminate." Minako shot the V-sign.

Rei seethed to herself that Minako would already be on the market. The singer was bound to have great demand, and Rei's left eye twitched imagining Minako playing the field. Rei could easily see her best friend doing that. Minako just had to be such a flirt! A strong hand clapped Rei's back, and she jumped around to see who it was.

"Hey, you guys came! And you brought Ami and Makoto, haha, sneaky. Bet it was Mina," Haruka smirked at them with Michiru at her side.

Rei had not forgotten their last encounter, so she couldn't help standing in front of Minako, a buffer against Haruka, and growling, yes, actually growling. Everyone but Haruka found it endearing.

Michiru threw a cool, calming hand to Rei's cheek and instantly neutralized the tension. "Come you silly bunch, Haruka and I wanted to introduce you to the officers," Michiru said in her majestic voice. She put her arm around Rei's back and guided her to the center of the club. Minako made a face behind Michiru

Minako and Haruka walked in step in the same direction. Haruka said under her breath, "Woo…you'd better leash your guard dog."

"Shut up, Haruka." Minako didn't like being reminded of how Mio treated Rei's hair like a leash. And Rei was not a dog! Wasn't Minako the one always being called "bitch"? Plus, Michiru being so close with Rei was annoying.

Haruka chuckled good-naturedly and began, "Uh-oh Mina, look out. Jadeite's already on the hunt. She's slobbering all over your 'Rei-chan.'"

"What, who!?" Minako squinted her eyes at the girls surrounding Rei, but couldn't pick out who Haruka had mentioned. Well, it soon became clear that one was especially asserting herself on Rei's attention. "That's a _she_!?" Okay Minako, don't be mean. Aside from that funky, colored, short permy hair, this Jadeite was attractive. Attractive like a cute, teenage boy.

"Don't hate, Mina. Jade, short for Jadeite, is the Vice President. And she's ridiculously popular with girls. Hear she's quite the shark in bed too," Haruka raised an eyebrow for emphasis.

"Jealous, tiger?," Minako said.

"I have Michiru. I bet everyone else is jealous. Maybe even your precious 'Rei-chan,'" Haruka dared, until she received a chilling stare from Minako, "I'm kidding. Oh c'mon Rei only has eyes f—"

"Are you two officers?" Minako decided that cutting Haruka off would prevent her cruel teasing.

"Michiru's Secretary. I just attend meetings—"

"Oh she's more than that. She attracts members as LASS's Prince. Come and meet the officers with Rei, Minako," Michiru had snuck up on the two, ushering Haruka and Minako closer to the circle. The circle opened up to allow them entrance, as if it was some honor to be apart of the officers. The circle just as soon again closed when the two joined.

"Is this another lovely freshman for our club? Hello Haruka-kun," a tall, curvaceous girl with timeless beauty spoke kindly to the newcomers.

"Eh, she's got a boyfriend, but I reckon she may be a switch-hitter. Sup Setsuna," Haruka offered.

"We broke up," Minako informed with shining eyes, summoning all of her strength. Rei appeared by Minako's side to support her with a reassuring arm. Rei also was getting a little spooked by Jade.

Haruka and Michiru made mildly alarmed eyes at one another. Haruka began, "I'm…sorry to hear that, kiddo. We should talk about it later. But on the bright side…she's an available switch-hitter!" Rei glared at Haruka with a set jaw.

"I'm sorry to hear that too, Minako-san. It must be difficult. I'm glad you decided to come despite that. You're always welcome here, and I predict you'll enjoy it. Ah, where are my manners? I'm Setsuna, a tired senior," Setsuna held her hand out to Minako with a warm smile.

Minako shook it, and she felt a mysterious calmness run through her.

"Tired senior, my ass. Setsuna will be the best president LASS has ever had," Haruka said.

"Oh uhm…my name is Minako, a freshman as you guessed. Thank you for making me feel welcome!" Minako quickly got over her initial shyness and went on, "I don't mind being an active member, but my main objective is to cheer on this girly," Minako nudged Rei in the face with her own in their close proximity. The best friends shared a loving look with one another, seeming to forget everyone around them. "Wanna set her up with the best!" Minako said.

"For Rei-san? Hm…ha. Ha. I…get the feeling she doesn't need to be set up," Setsuna eyed the two with wise eyes and smiled happily at them.

"That's right Setsuna-sama, because she's with _me_," Mio said, making her way into the officers' circle, giving Minako the stink-eye.

"Oh good, all our officers are now here," Setsuna said, diverting attention from Mio's comment. "I want to formally introduce you all to Haruka's and Michiru's juniors from childhood." Mio had no choice but to shut up.

"Jade is our charismatic Vice President. Without her, this club would have lost its vision." Jade acknowledged this with an upward nod, head held jauntingly, eying Rei's movements intently.

"Michiru is our capable Secretary, on top of everything that passes in our club." Michiru smiled benevolently to all with her eyes closed. "Haruka isn't technically an officer, but I think of her as a cheerleader, encouraging current members and attracting new ones." Haruka rubbed the back of her head sheepishly. She didn't exactly think "cheerleader" fit her image, but Haruka would talk back to anyone but Setsuna.

"Hotaru-chan is our trustworthy Treasurer. She has a meticulous awareness of our funds that borders on conservative. Nothing about our group would be considered conservative, but I'm fine with fiscal conservation." Hotaru was a slight sophomore with shoulder-length hair, straight bangs. Her eyes were indisputably black. She didn't speak much, but what she said mattered.

"Chibi-chan is our mighty Historian, extremely talented with a camera and shooting people in real, candid action." Chibi had a very "genki" aura about her, as she twitched her leg constantly, occasionally whispering things she found funny to her best friend, the reserved Hotaru. Chibi was even smaller than Hotaru, but both were sophomores.

"Talk about an Usagi look-a-like," Minako whispered to an amused, nodding Rei. Minako kept her face close to Rei's, reveling in the warmth her best friend naturally emitted. Minako shot an infuriated Mio a shit-eating grin, and Rei was oblivious. Rei was used to Minako being physically affectionate when they attended events together, and Rei was the one who still had her arm around Minako after the singer had confessed her broken relationship. Rei wasn't the most sophisticated when it came to other people's jealousy.

"And Mio is our newest member, our Social Planner. She was an…_enthusiastic_... underclassman from my high school. She's very good at initiating activities and involving herself, so I hope she proves herself so," Setsuna finished, veiled stare eying Mio warily. Setsuna sensed that Mio had ulterior motives, so she believed it best to keep a dangerous person close for inspection rather than far from her radar. It seemed to Setsuna that already two of her officers fancied this newcomer, Rei-san, but only Mio would purposely manipulate. Jade would try to bed Rei, certainly, but she wasn't out to destroy things in her path. Jade had too many offers to wage war. But Mio would definitely do something cruel to the cheeky Minako, and Setsuna didn't think Rei and Minako needed any more drama than what they had. Both were clearly meant to be with the other, but perhaps baggage and insecurities and immaturity kept them apart. "Actually Mio, I have a task for you." Setsuna turned to the new freshmen, "Rei-san and Minako-san, please make yourself at home. If you'll excuse me. Mio, would you follow me?" Setsuna commanded Mio to another part of the room, leaving the officers' circle.

Jade resumed her attentions on Rei by charging forward to her, "So Rei, you're new to all of this huh? I've known I was gay for a really long time, so I could show you the ropes…" Jade said.

Minako could feel Rei squirming from the unwanted attention, so she put it bluntly, even making a shooing motion with hand, "No no, you won't do. You're not Rei's type."

"Catty. So what exactly is Rei's type? It may not seem like it at first glance, but I'm pretty well-rounded when it comes to pleasing expectations," Jade grinned lasciviously.

Minako also found herself turned off from this aggressive upperclassman. Yet she couldn't provide Jade with an answer, because Minako didn't know what Rei's type was. If Minako had that sort of knowledge, she'd spend most of her free time trying to become that sort of girl. It hurt that Rei wasn't attracted to her as is, but at least Minako was gifted with the dramatic arts, "Well you see, Rei is attracted to girls like me. Unfortunately, up until now, I had been dating this guy for about four years, so Rei and I could never be. Now that I'm ready to be with her, she's having dates with some random girl, coming to this club to meet new tail—"

"Minako, hush your mouth!" Rei clapped her hand over the obnoxious singer's mouth, "Jadeite-san, everything Minako has said is a lie…except for the first part. Sorry!" Rei made a quick bow and pulled Minako towards a different crowd in the room.

FLASH. Jade covered her eyes in frustration from the sudden brightness.

"That was the perfect picture of rejection!" Chibi said, thrilled about her shot of a surprised Jade denied access to a girl's parts. Jade shrugged it off, but she was secretly impressed by the two new freshmen. They were fun and flashy…and absolutely fuckable. But it seemed that all LASS members would only get to enjoy two of the three things they had to offer, the third gift reserved for one another? Jade grinned at the thought of those two freshmen getting it on. Sexy.

Setsuna observed from the corner of her eye, the two newest freshmen, Rei and Minako, dazzling and mingling with the other members. They were just too cute. Sure, the other members would throw themselves at the two, but the two were smitten. What their glances and touches actually spoke out, how their shared speech sparked at one another into some passionate flame, the way they fought against one another, but more of how they fought for the other when an outsider encroached. Setsuna imagined them in a near future, finally aware of their feelings, in undisturbed harmony. Setsuna's soul warmed at how beautiful, how precious their potential would be. She nodded to a power-hungry Mio and her many ideas. Mio was chattering about what LASS's first mixer should be. Something about LASS meeting up with the Young Feminists Alliance. Setsuna would eliminate the threat of Mio for her new favorite couple. It would be cruel to not intervene in the making of such a love.

****

Back in the dormitory after the meeting, "Spit it out; how many!?"

"…"

"You can't lie to me; I saw everything! Four, FOUR freaking girls wanted to bang your brains out!!" Minako half cheered, half wanted to rip her hair out.

"You were propositioned too! That girl with all the tattoos…or was it piercings? And—"

"Two. Two creepy girls wanted me, but that's HALF of your earnings," Minako scoffed.

"How was that other girl creepy? I thought she was interesting and kind of cute…" Rei said.

"Did I forget to mention that that same girl also moved onto me AFTER you? I was like leftovers. And if you like her so much, are you going to accept her invitation?" Minako poked Rei in the ribs forcefully, needing the answer.

"You didn't get as many people, because you weren't even _trying_ to be nice. I don't think you have any interest in girls, because you were just awful to some of them," Rei said.

"I still won the bet, fair and square. What did I win!?" Minako said as Rei rose a skeptical eyebrow at her. Rei waited for it: Minako remembered now. "Oh damn…the _one_ time I ask for nothing, and I win. Anyway...I definitely like girls. I'm just…impossibly selective," Minako rolled her eyes. Like one in seven trillion (1:7,000,000,000).

"Well what if I told you," Rei began, almost regretting that she had started, but she needed to stop Minako from pressuring her into useless relationships that would never amount to anything, "—that even if I met the perfect girl, I could never be with her."

"What is that supposed to mean, silly?" Minako said.

"Would you believe me if I told you that I've been in love with one and only one girl my entire existence," Rei said as Minako gasped loudly, "and I will never, trust me, NEVER love another girl again. I can thank Mio for showing me that, not that she was the best specimen," Minako couldn't help smirking at the degrading choice of description, "—but no matter who I'm with, no matter how attractive and kind this _other_ girl is, my heart just aches for her. I only want her. I'll only ever want her," Rei sighed at Minako with the tortured eyes of a lifetime of unrequited love from birth parents, grandparent, to careless friend.

****

*Yawn* this convo can continue in the next chapter. Jadeite as a female just seemed awfully convenient.


	12. Chapter 12

Disclaimed.

I'll lamely reply at a review I recall. I guess I'll try to start addressing confusing parts you guys find. I don't promise you'll be pleased.

_What happened to Ami and Makoto last chapter?_ –Hell if I know, this is a story about Rei and Minako!! Um but seriously, I don't know. I imagine they weren't as glamorous as freshmen Rei/Mina, so they just fit in indiscriminately with other LASS members. I kind of forgot about them -.- Good question lol!

The conversation will be stretched into more nonsense plot. Mrs. Aino sounded too contrived, so she'll become "Aino-san." Mr. Aino will be "Dr. Aino." Do they have first names?—Oh well.

****

Chapter XII

A Sunday morning. It wasn't church.

"Yayy!! We're going home!" Minako shouted to the wind, as she clasped Rei's right hand with both of her own.

Rei's left hand was busy steering the wheel of their extravagant birthday gift of high school junior year, an obnoxiously red, BMW 3 series convertible. The top was down, since they had already passed the highway portion of their commute home. Though the luxury vehicle had been for both of them, Rei had the knack for driving and directions, while Minako obsessive-compulsively changed the radio station. Minako also always liked to hold Rei's hand.

"You know we're lucky mom and dad bought us an automatic, or else you'd have to hold onto yourself," Rei shook her captive hand teasingly.

Minako brushed the comment off as she responded, "Oh mom and daddy, now would be a good time to tell them about Zo…"

"You haven't even told mom yet?" Rei asked in turn. She was far more surprised than she let on, and Rei was relieved that her aviators were covering the shamefully victorious glint in her eye. At least Rei had known weeks in advance about the break up, even over their own mother!

"Kaa-san…she's always been really cool and supportive about my romantic, ugh, failures. I wanna do it in person," Minako rubbed the palm of Rei's hand as she stared off into the morning, large-framed glasses also concealing her burgeoning pensivity. Was Minako growing up? "…So have YOU told mom about this girl you're SO sucker for!? I'm gonna scream you deaf if she knows before me!" Baby steps, baby steps.

"Hush you child, I haven't told anyone," Rei pulled their car into their home's circular driveway with a fountain in the middle, continuing on to the fork that lead to the gated garage and back entrance.

Aino-san, ever the alert mother, came squealing out the door, ignoring the peeved alarm system beeps, "Oh my babies, you really dostill love your mother, ohohohoho!" The extremely petite mother tried to capture both of them in a hug, and her arms were only able to make it around since both of her daughters were well…also waif skinny, but definitely taller. "Come help mommy make lunch. You're in luck—it's curry!"

Rei and Minako made faces at each other, acknowledging that this indeed was home, a necessary haven and reprieve of college stress.

As they walked into the kitchen, Minako said to Rei, "Hey, why don't you go catch up with daddy? Don't want him to think we're just momma's girls, right?" Minako flashed an Oscar-worthy smile, which blew Rei over of course, so she just blindly nodded and went to look for her father. Minako waited until Rei left the room and her act went away, mask replaced with solemnity.

Her mother was in front of the pot, mixing the curry that needed to stew. Perfect. That meant there was nothing really to help with, and Minako could just gush to her mother about how much the world hates her. "Kaa-san…"

The older Aino turned immediately to her daughter who so rarely called her anything but "Moooooom." Something was up. Aino-san bounded over to place her hands on her daughter's shoulder and face, "Mina-chan, what's wro—"

"Kami-sama hates me, because he wants me to be alone, so I hate him back!" It was petulant. It was pathetic. Minako was so beautifully human.

Aino-san studied her Mina-chan with a worried frown, "Mina, what are you talking about? Did Zoicite do something?"

"No, he did nothing. As in, he never did anything for me, you know? He never made me feel like we were worth it. So I was a cruel bitch, and dumped him," Minako admitted bitterly.

"Eh!?" Aino-san did not expect this answer. Well, perhaps she expected that one day Minako would realize she didn't want to be with that drab Zoicite, but not paired with how Minako initiated the conversation. Minako should be telling her about some hot, steamy affair she had with a professor or something—none of this being alone nonsense! "Oh my little hamster, I'm sorry to hear what happened between Zoicite and you, but why do you think you'll be alone now?" Aino-san rubbed Minako's back and shoulders encouragingly.

"Because maa, I've found it. I just know it. I've found my soulmate," Minako stared back at her mother with blazing certainty.

"Nani? Isn't that a good thing then? I suppose you must still be feeling bad about Zoicite, and I'm proud of you for that…but more importantly, when can I meet the new fella?" Aino-san suppressed the urge to wink at her daughter. Maybe it wasn't a good time. But dangit, she was so curious and excited for her daughter! Mina's new beau was bound to be a catch, astonishingly attractive.

"…She loves someone else. She's already found her own fucking soulmate," Minako echoed with her broken expression, looking as if someone had passed gas on her.

Obviously tolerant of her daughter's language, Mrs. Aino tumbled into the salient piece of information, "Oh baby, you don't know that sh—she? Well that's a surprise…just like Rei-chan…"

"I know. Sorry, I'm a lesbian. Or am I bi since I was with Zoicite? But since I know I'm stuck on my soulmate, I should just say lesbian. And that's only _one_ of the taboos…" Minako hardly heard what her mother said, or else she would have reacted more to the mention of Rei's name.

"Ano, Mina, forgive your mother. I didn't mean to judge you, and you know I never would. I'm all about the free and happy and sexy love," Aino-san began. Minako couldn't help chuckling at her mother's phrases. "But I don't think you can accept defeat so easily. Who would not love my daughter?" Minako rolled her eyes at her mother's familial bias. "No, listen to me this once, who would not love your charm? Your vibrance. Your honesty. Your nice chest, which you got from your good mother," Aino-san allowed herself to wink this time. "Who wouldn't love someone as beautiful as you?"

"I agree," Rei appeared out of nowhere, gazing warmly at Minako like a hearth fire.

"Hear, hear," Dr. Aino thundered cheerfully in his colorful baritone, coming up behind Rei.

Minako's eyes bulged towards the floor, her face crimson with nervousness. How long had those two been around? How much did they really hear, hear? A thick cloud of tension rose in the air, and the family was in silence for half a minute. A new record. And the one to break it was an anomaly too.

"Um, but what were you guys talking about?" Rei asked bluntly.

Aino-san caught the powerful sigh of relief from her Mina, and the adept mother gave her chipper reply, "Love of course! Don't we always? The curry is growing lonely; shall we eat?" She gestured to the dining table and shot Minako a piercing look, trying to decipher if her gut instinct of Minako hiding her feelings from Rei was correct.

Rei and Dr. Aino could not refuse such an offer, so they gratefully grabbed bowls and utensils for everyone to chow down. Minako had not really moved from her spot, off in an almost meditation. Aino-san left her daughter to her own devices as she sat at the table with her filled bowl of curry. Itadakimasu! Her husband was devouring his bowl, face buried in eating. Aino-san looked at her other daughter, Rei-chan, from the corner of her eyes. Rei actually chewed her food, but her attention would inevitably flutter to the bizarre-acting Minako. It was kind of cute how worried and clueless Rei was, and…Ah. Whoa. There was a definite obsessive pattern in how often she checked on Minako. Aino-san couldn't believe that Rei was even tasting the effortly prepared curry, because Rei was so focused on Minako. Every now and then, Rei would raise her chopsticks to her mouth with _nothing _in them, not seeming to notice as her eyes hurried away from Minako, perhaps being afraid of being caught. Well the girl had reason; Rei had red signs all over the place! So bizarre, Aino-san thought. Rei had always been masterfully reticent.

Rei had been a simple daughter to raise and please. She never so much showed the slightest amount of interest in any one or thing as her very own, Minako. Not that Rei ever mentioned liking anyone, but if she had such feelings, all her energy always went to Minako. Based on the way her children were acting, Rei and Minako fit each other's description like this _fabulous _curry on rice.

As the woman who raised them together for more than seven years, how could she not have foreseen this? This was some really funky shit. The intense interaction between her daughters, Minako's insistence to always room _and_ bed with Rei, the seemingly conflicting yet perfectly complementing parts. Yeah, two taboos alright. Well, one and a half. They weren't biological sisters. And what was wrong with homosexuality? Maybe a half taboo, which meant it was basically nothing harmful or devastating, Aino-san reassured herself. Oh it was almost darling to her, in a detached, weird, kinky way. But above all, as their mother, if it made them ultimately happy, she wouldn't just _accept_ them, she would champion and push the cause. And of course, she had control of her house, so she would slap her husband into order, though he was always easy to please. Goodness, she loved that man.

But wait. Aino-san had a record of being quite careless and loose, so maybe she needed to align closer to the norm on such controversial matters. Other people would not be so forgiving, and the thought of those people hurting her daughters…well damn, what _was_ the right thing to do?

****

The mom is not believable, but a girl can dream.


	13. Chapter 13

Disclaimer: SM belongs to the cool kids.

Caution: Keep out of reach of children.

I think I'm supposed to warn you that this is an M rating. I'm sorry if you're a curious elementary child and become scarred from reading this. But it's out of love, not hateful rape!

****

Chapter XIII

"Girls, daddy has a shift now, but I'm really happy you two came down to see your old folks. Mommy is at Kobayashi-san's house, but she'll be back to eat dinner out with you. Drive safely back to school, try and study some," Dr. Aino fixed more of his gaze on Minako for this, "and since, erm, your mother informed me of that Zoicite rascal, NO boys! Love you girls."

"Love you too, dad," Rei and Minako said in unison as they waved their retreating father. He gave one last crinkly smile before disappearing from the door frame of their bedroom.

Minako sprawled luxuriously on their old bed, stretching and rolling around like a spoiled housecat. Rei chose a corner at the foot of the bed, knees drawn up close to her chest to give Minako the space to be well, annoying.

"Aaaaaah, feels good to be home!" Minako nuzzled Rei's old hugging pillow, taking in the scent. She giggled freely and "ki-ya"ed at nothing. An old analog clock could be heard twitching on every second. It was nice. It was peaceful in their suburban home, no disturbances of beerpong and blaring base so common to their new living space at the dormitories. Filled with the memory-induced scent of the pillow and a sudden boldness, Minako shoved past Rei's knees to smell her best friend's hair and neck. It went straight to the gutter.

"Geh, Mina, what are you doing," Rei tried to lamely bat away an intrusive Minako.

"Do you remember when we shared our first kiss in this bed?" Minako looked mischievously at Rei, her eyes gradually dilating in a predatory manner.

"You mean when you forced it on me and then turned it into routine kissing practices everyday?" Rei said with a judgment that only sounded harsh but contained nothing.

"Ah, so it made such an impact, hm? Well seeing as we're both past the kissing stage, I propose that we need to practice..." Minako lingered on the "ss," "…intimacy." Minako licked her lips devilishly.

Instead of letting an insurmountable nosebleed rain on them, Rei felt an actual glare seep out. How could Minako be so casual about sex? Sex was the consummation of love to Rei. And Rei really wanted to have sex with Minako, but could love be consummated only halfway? Rei held onto some dignity, "Minako, no." Rei had to keep it short, lest she say instead, "Minako, no, oh fuck, I give in, let's do it until dinnertime!"

"Ugh, you're such a pooper," Minako crossed her arms defiantly, backing off a bit. "How are we in college and both still virgins!? And correct me if I'm wrong, but we've only been with one person each! We are SO lame!" Minako cried out in frustration.

"Look Mina, I don't know what you're so worked up about. Wouldn't it be…kind of amazing…" Rei said pretty dreamily for her, "…to save yourself for 'the one?'"

"Ah yes, so _that_'s why you're holding back on me," Minako crossed her arms in a show of cynicism. "Why are you keeping her a secret? Rei…" Minako abandoned her haughty stance to hold and nudge Rei's forearm gently, "are you finally going to tell me who she is? I can help you, I think. I'll try. We're sisters; we don't have secrets, right?" Minako said with actual sincerity, hopeful that Rei would just tell her already, crush Minako quickly.

"No." Rei had missed every vulnerability Mina had thrown out to her, because she was too busy thinking about how messed up this situation was. She had to lock and guard herself from Minako's temptations, those false alarm kissing lessons from long ago, and the pursuit of her precious secret.

Minako did not take this well; she was infuriated. Nothing seemed to be going her way, and she had taken too many beatings these past few weeks. She was wounded, tired, desperate, needy for Rei's attentions. How many times had she cried since she entered college? Almost ten times? That was enough for two years worth, and she usually cried over pointless things. Realizing your boyfriend of four years who was deeply committed to you just didn't cut it; realizing your sister best friend hid her homosexuality from you; thereby, realizing that you were creepily head-over-heels in love with her, confirming your own homosexuality; and oh, realizing that you would NEVER have a chance with her.

Well Fuck this. C'mon, she used to cry when one of her favorite jeans tore or if her dad got her a really sucky Christmas gift. She would endure this no more. "Fine, it's ultimatum time. Either you tell me who this girl of yours is, or I'm going to _force_," Minako flinched at repeating Rei's cruel word, "…you again. Just like I did last time in this bed. You think I'm playing? Try me," Minako meant her words, though she was rather unstable by this point. Shaking in a bit of anger, but more lopsided towards weak surrender. She wanted to be selfish. If Rei's girl wouldn't be revealed, screw it. Screw her. Screw Rei against the headboard.

The chip was knocked off Rei's shoulder, not believing Minako for a blink. Minako had carelessly flirted with Rei since the beginning of time, but they hadn't seriously done anything for four years! She met Minako's wild eyes full force with her own, "You know what, Minako? I don't always have to take your crap! I think you're just hormonal after your breakup, and maybe Zoicite withheld sex from you for good reason," Rei spoke with a fire she never let out, a cockiness she couldn't control well.

"You're right, Rei. You're always right, it's such a turn-on—" and Minako didn't give Rei a chance to respond as she crashed into Rei, hand grabbing for Rei's face, other hand grabbing a bundle of Rei's shirt. Her lips connected wetly with Rei's hot lips. It wasn't middle school anymore for Minako. Closed-mouth kisses didn't fill her need to claim Rei. Minako immediately shot her tongue greedily into Rei's mouth, urging Rei's tongue to react.

It was unexpected and explosive, and their connection felt like static electricity. Rei was in shock and motionless for all of eight seconds. Her last thought was, We've become too emotional… Rei's tongue responded back to Minako's hungry dips. It wasn't a dominance for power, rather, a literal licking of wounds. Rei would sigh from soothed scars, and Minako would whimper from attended needs. Their hands were everywhere, needing to grab something to remember, to imprint.

Minako mewled in an especially arousing way to Rei, which prompted the raven-haired girl to pick her partner up from her bottom, being especially careful of the old bruises from that infamous night's tree fall. Minako wrapped her skirted legs around Rei's waist instinctively, as Rei carried them to the headboard, walking on her knees. Their mouths never left each other as this took place, until Rei pulled away for air and to put her legs underneath Minako's bottom. Their eyes smoldered one another with unfettered lust, hurt, and frightened fondness. Rei moved her hands from Minako's secured bottom to the back of her head to gingerly rest Minako's back body on the headboard.

Minako gasped at how tender Rei was with her, and her eyes teared imagining how Rei would make love, not sex, to her actual crush. Rei detected the sadness in Minako's eyes and slipped her hands from the back of Mina's head to cradle her face. Rei looked questioningly at Minako, patiently. Minako couldn't stand it and averted her eyes.

Rei didn't let this stop her own momentum. She moved in slowly to kiss Minako, softly, delicately, like a first kiss, as if they were beginning again as middle schoolers. It was filled with unspoken love. There were so many contented sighs and moans to be exchanged. While a kiss like this was so naturally simple, it had the power to engross for hours. However, reality would be that these were two 18-year olds. They could make-out _after_ defiling one another.

Minako's hands fell from gripping Rei's back to sliding along her sides and ribcage. As artfully placed as Rei's ribs were, Minako's desire got the better of her as she shyly palmed Rei's breasts. Rei moaned lavishly into Minako's mouth, spurring the singer on. Minako backed completely into the headboard in order to make space between her crotch and the entrance to Rei's jeans. She flicked the button open and unzipped in one fluid motion to reveal Rei's scarlet panties. Of course. One hand still groping Rei's chest, Minako used her free hand to tease Rei outside the fabric of her panties. Passing over Rei's nervous clit, Rei bucked into Minako, effectively rubbing the singer's core as well.

Rei wasn't the only one to be had in this game as she unhooked Minako's bra in the back with two fingers—she was accustomed to the singer's bras—and ran her hands up the front to Minako's bare breasts. Now Minako had pretty generous breasts for a small girl, so Rei had a lot to squeeze and pinch. Minako shuddered against Rei's ministrations. Minako retreated her tongue into her mouth to suck hungrily at Rei's tongue. Rei continued to circle her fingers around Minako's hardening nipples, and Minako was beyond horny. She took the plunge with her hand directly into Rei's panties, and the heat of Rei's slit was a deliciously new feeling for Mina. She still had the mental awareness to know that she would treasure this experience for a lifetime.

Maddening amounts of sighing and moaning, and rubbing past teasing, and blatant humping took place. Both really wanted to get rid of all their clothing in the way, but that would take time away from the ends they sought.

The tempo increased, "God Rei, ahhhh, touch me. Please haaaaahhh. Tou-t-touch me…down there…" Minako breathed out, returning to sucking on Rei's tongue. Rei complied by moving one of her hands to rub against Minako's soaked panties. It was easy access, since the singer was wearing a skirt. But Rei was finding it hard to control her motor facilities since Minako had a head start on her. She was about to lose it unt—

"Oh. My. Babies." Aino-san gawked at her two daughters who had just been groping and sexing like it was their first time. She couldn't be sure if it was though, because they looked like they knew how to please each other quite well. Anyway, it wasn't like Aino-san was trying to be nosey or anything, but the girls had left the door to their room wide open! What's a mother to do!? "I'll be waiting downstairs in the lounge…if you want to talk. Or if not, you can um…carry on. Just…be careful. Do you need condoms?—Wait, scratch that. And close the door next time!" Aino-san shook her head as she shut the door behind her leave.

The two sister best friends were frozen in their place, indeed the awkwardness of the interruption cooling their heated lust down. The blood left their lower regions to fill up their faces. Rei discretely removed her hands from Minako's left boob and wet panties. This spurred Minako to pull away from Rei's chest and…very wet slit. Minako's right hand came in between their subdued, huddled forms, in plain view for both of them to see. Her fingers spread slightly to reveal the translucent, sticky gel substance produced by her sister. It was absolutely fascinating to Minako as she shamelessly stared at it in wonder, tempted to take a small taste with her tongue…

"Mina, stop it!" a furiously blushing Rei shook her head violently, putting it weakly against Minako's collarbone. Minako had the height advantage, being seated on Rei's lap. She did her best to wrap her arms around Rei with her clean left hand and a non-drenched right elbow.

Minako seemed to be coping with this far better than a battered Rei. Perhaps because Rei was worked up more, whereas Minako was just super excited. To be so close to release yet suddenly stolen from the moment. It would make anyone grumpy, but especially a moody Rei. She beat herself up for letting herself get used by Minako's games. Rei poured more of her heart and feelings by doing something like this, but it was just some practice to Minako.

Minako on the other hand allowed this wonderful distraction to delude her into thinking that Rei and her would naturally do these things more often until it was obvious that Rei should be with Minako, not some faceless nobody! God, Minako really hated this girl, and she didn't even know her! Well whatever. Minako still eyed her hand covered in Rei's juice curiously, and behind Rei's back, literally, she took the tip of her ring finger in her mouth for just a small taste. Rei froze, obviously feeling and hearing Minako.

"What the hell Minako!?" Oh dear. Rei was usually far too well-mannered to swear. Rei pulled back to look aghast at Minako, with some disgust and subconscious fear that Minako would spit it out.

Minako clicked her tongue. "I'll have you know, Rei-chan," Minako tapped Rei's flared nose with her left index finger, "I thought cum would be like the nastiest shit in the world, but you're actually…pretty nice tasting." Minako raised her eyebrows lasciviously.

The fear had been quelled in Rei, but she still managed to glare unforgivingly at the singer. Minako wanted to rile Rei up even more, and hey, she wasn't lying so…she moaned and rolled her eyes back as she slowly licked her coated fingers like a feline right in front of Rei's face.

Rei's eyes bulged out in aroused horror, letting Minako have her victory. But Rei's eyes turned to dangerous slits as Minako continued to collect every last drop on her fingers. Before Minako was even halfway finished "cleaning," Rei captured a yelping Minako into another firey kiss, so spontaneous that it managed to be even hotter than the other ones. Rei even rubbed her thigh against Minako to get the singer going again, but as suddenly as it came, she pulled away. Minako still had her eyes closed and rocking her hips before she could react to Rei. She stopped to look embarrassed herself, and she pouted at Rei, "Mou, why did you stop!?"

"Because I'd rather talk with mom right now over you. I thought it would be terribly embarrassing to face her about it, but I see you're not making this any better." Rei removed herself from under Minako, always handling her sister with utmost care. She stood up to fix her hair and disarranged outfit. She tried to ignore her own taste in her mouth. Minako was right. It wasn't nasty, but it was definitely weird to Rei. "You coming?"

"I wish…fine, gah! Maybe I'll be able to find out who your secret crush, um, love of your life is," because I'm going to destroy her, Minako sung to herself. "I think it'd make things a lot easier for us, sheesh."

"Well I think you're wrong," Rei came back in her loveable stubbornness. But just this once, Minako was probably right.

****

Wow…I've never written hentai-like stuff. It was…hard. But I guess I thought people would want to see these two get _somewhere_. Hope you liked. Next time will be talk with Aino-san!


	14. Chapter 14

Disclaimed.

Uh, bad with updates. I'm deep in finals at school. Sorry.

So why did I make them sisters? Uhm…I just wanted an excuse for them to sleep together lol, you know, before they officially got together. For the legality of it all, they are adoptive sisters, biologically healthy. But I must admit, I get this sick pleasure when I type "her sister" as they do something naughty…

****

Chapter XIV

The sister best friends made their way downstairs after Rei had forcibly washed Minako's dirty hand. It had been an arduous task for the raven-haired guitarist, because Minako would randomly fling water in Rei's face. Only when Rei was about to strangle the diva's wrist, Minako would lean in and kiss the drops on Rei's face, leaving her angrily sputtering. For the most part, Rei avoided dogs and most pets, but she would have preferred a rank pack of puppies to clean if only for her sanity. Upon reaching the entrance to the lounge, which felt like an eternity to the two, they found their mother placidly flipping through a Japanese pop culture magazine.

In actuality, Aino-san was far from calm. She was absolutely baffled by how uncomfortable she felt about this newest idol's photo shoot. She turned the magazine sideways, upside down, but nothing could erase the aging conservatism within her. This girl couldn't be 18, but Aino-san might as well have been looking at a gentleman's monthly. It was certainly no way for women to be moving out of a tradition of being bodily objectified. There, Aino-san patted her ego, how was _that_ for conservatism? She returned the glossy magazine to the coffee table and folded her hands in her lap as she watched her hormonal daughters awkwardly situate themselves before her. Aino-san skillfully suppressed a grin.

Rei had initiated sitting down first, taking one side of the loveseat perpendicularly adjacent to Mrs. Aino's recliner. After sitting for a few seconds, Rei immediately hugged the edge of the couch, not wanting to imply anything by claiming the symbolically named couch. Of course Rei scolded herself for thinking so much about something as silly as seat placement, but she was not entirely off-base to theorize that the females of her adoptive family were fanciful romantics.

Minako smirked as she coolly sat down on the other side of the loveseat. She sneaked a glance at her fidgety sister. Minako found herself annoyed with the gap between them, so she slowly began scooting over. Aino Minako would never understand personal space, especially with the alluring Hino Rei. She closed the distance between them and poked her index finger into Rei's cheek. Minako shot a sardonic questioning look at Rei, Why so serious? Rei audibly gulped.

"Alright girls, is everything settled then?" Aino-san began.

A startled look was shared between Rei and Minako, and they turned back to their mother in alarm. They expected their mother to immediately question about why they had been...engaged in a not-so-sisterly activity.

"This messy business with the feelings and the secrets," Aino-san proceeded.

A hurt gasp was made. Minako took a bait her mother was not expecting, "Ugh! No way, mom. Did Rei tell you about her infatuation before me?" Minako gave a pouty, wounded look to her mother, and then glared at Rei.

"Ano, Minako-chan, I think Rei's feelings are more than simple infatuation..." Aino-san suggested. Rei went ghostly white as she gaped at her perceptive mother. "But now I believe I'm a little confused too. Mina, you _still_ don't know Rei's special person? Then what were you two doing in your room?" Aino-san sounded diplomatic, not in the least bit judging. Aino-san patted her ego again. Confirmation; she had to be the coolest mom definitively.

"It was always her!" Rei pointed weakly at Minako, her words underlying ambiguous meaning. Aino-san had no reason to doubt her Rei-rei. Rei was assuredly a tough girl, but she had a justified fear and respect of the women in the Aino household. And now it was so clear that the youngest Aino held this dark raven's heart. Minako was ready with a comeback that only addressed half of Rei's feelings.

"Well yeah, duh. It's pure genius that's why. We're the hottest things around, so it would only be natural that we practice when the field is lacking. It's so convenient too, because we live together...and um...it's safe! It's got to be the safest sex in the world!" Minako said with gusto. Her mother openly gawked back at her, and Minako corrected herself, "Not that we've ever had sex!" Rei abruptly slapped her burning face in her hand.

"Is it really that...safe? You could be toying with feelings..." Aino-san said. Rei expected at least an embarrassing eye contact with her mother, but Aino-san looked to be staring at an indefinite space in between Rei and Minako. "Wait. 'It was _always_ her?' How long have you two been fooling around with each other!?" Aino-san had assumed that they had finally admitted and confessed to one another upstairs, leading to the consummation or rather, loud declaration of their newfound relationship.

Rei shot her head down, not believing how many times she would feel ambushed today. Minako kept her head up, but she began giggling nervously as her eyes refused to meet her mother's beckoning ones.

"_That_ long hm? Minako...you didn't 'practice' when you were with Zoicite-kun right?" Aino-san asked, a little appalled by the thought of such a reckless daughter. Rei couldn't help flinching at how the start of that—calm down it's over—relationship deprived her of those practices. Initially it had been a relief of duty, but how she came to sorely miss being even a plaything to her adoptive sister.

"Of course not, moooom! I stopped when I started dating him! Mou, I can't believe you would even think that of me!!" Minako flailed her arms theatrically. Well, that would explain why Aino-san had found them enthusiastically going at it upstairs. Four years of withdrawal plus repressed smoldering passions?...Love? Kami, it must have been good.

"You _stopped_? You mean to tell me you were necking with your sister when Rei-rei didn't even have her period yet!?" Aino-san could only save face for so long. She could keep her head about _most_ unconventional things other mothers couldn't handle, but there were still breaking points. How else could Minako's disposition be explained?

Rei was about ready to spontaneously combust at this point. No one would notice right? They were talking about her as if she weren't even there...

"It's not like she put up much of a fight!" Minako shouted as her mother gasped at the absurdity of that statement. "In fact...I think she kind of liked it! After the first few times, she just went along with it like a good little sister!" Minako was standing up at this point, leaning towards her mother with a confidently aggressive stance. "There were times too...when I cried about things out of my control, and _she_ would kiss me to make me feel better...and I always did," Minako finished softly. She mentally beat herself up about how obvious she must have sounded about her feelings.

"It's not as bad as you think, mom," Rei chose to speak up this time, willing herself to ignore the "good little sister" comment. "If I felt like I had been seriously taken advantage of, I would have physically stopped her. I've always been _bigger_ than her," Rei ignored Minako as she made a face at her. "I'll admit that part of me consented to Minako, because I was so thankful to be taken in as a family member. But it wasn't necessarily unpleasant. Probably made me a little more aware that I was gay," Rei shrugged. "Oh by the way, I think I'm going to stop seeing Mio," Rei relayed to her mother, the entire conversation taking a sudden turn towards normal—well, normal for the Aino household. Rei and her mother always had rational conversations, much a sign that the daughter who took after her mother would compliment the raven-haired guitarist.

Aino-san looked at her daughters intently, pondering whether she should just force them to admit their feelings to one another. Wouldn't it be so much easier? Or would it be wrong to speed up something that seemed to be happening so naturally? Something that had happened in her own house no doubt, under her nose for all those years? It was _much more_ than infatuation it seemed, and she grew a little dazed at how long and strong their relationship endured. Aino-san had had lingering doubts during lunch, when she worried that her pining daughters would suffer harsh adversity from being lesbian AND incestuous fetish. But did she ever draw lines in love? Could she possibly deny a love that would potentially devastate her daughters without? No, Aino-san smiled bittersweetly, tiredly to herself. Yes, they were sisters, but that spoke for how powerful this relationship could make or break them. Since they were already in love with one another, forcing them to be with another person might break their perfect—damn right—family. Yes, Aino-san had a perfect family. She would not interfere, only support the inevitable perfection of her family.

"Well girls..." Aino-san sighed, "I trust that you'll make the right decisions in the end. Just remember that practices like this can only be so...casual. It's good to be safe, as you pointed out Mina-chan, but sometimes you need to take risks to get something you really want. Just think about why you're doing these practices beyond pleasing...frustrations," Aino-san finished wisely.

Rei flushed for the umpteenth time that day, but she nodded in relief, believing they had gotten off incredibly lucky. Did she ever get in trouble with someone like her mother? Why was she such an anxious type?

Minako, on the other hand, was defiant and knowledgeable enough to realize that as long as she had good intentions, her mother was rarely rebuking. She kept replaying her mother's words in her head, but she gave up as another thought came to her mind, "Oh. My. Goodness. It's Usa-chan, isn't it? It makes SO much sense now, because you could never have her, she's straight...She's your total opposite and drives you crazy, but it actually turns you on. And she's a girly-girl. You would totally be a sucker for that. Sheesh, Usagi gets everything…" Minako listed off to herself more than her disbelieving audience. Aino-san had to left out a laugh.

"You're right, Mina," Rei stared challengingly at Minako. Minako stared back with hard eyes of guarded hurt. "Odango-chan drives me absolutely apeshits. Like sometimes I want to grab her pigtails, and throw her several hundred feet or play jump-rope with her or whatnot...But you know what? Sometimes I also want to bash your pretty face in when you think you've one-upped me. Sometimes your girlish whims to shop for _accessories_—what the hell does that word even mean!?—makes me want to pretend I'm fatally ill. Sometimes I'm so utterly confused by how you're seemingly straight, but you want to grope me into submission!!"

Minako had the look of being discovered, and she made an attempt to quickly defend herself when, "Enough you two! Minako, Rei-rei does _not _fancy Usagi-chan in such a way. And before you ask me again, Rei did _not_ tell me. I'm sure everyone else knows who you two secretly dream about, but you two are too stubborn to see it. Just be honest with each other. And play nice. Now, I want to tend to the garden," Aino-san rose with dignity and exited the lounge.

"Wait a minute...you're in love with someone too!?" Rei burst out.

"Yes..." Minako wracked her brain for something, anything, "I'll tell you mine if you tell me yours...?" Minako released before processing it. Shit, she'd have to take it back...

"..."

****


	15. Chapter 15

Disclaimed.

I have an older sister. And if I thought she were hot, you'd be better believe I'd ;)

It's not much…

Chapter XV

"Kawaiiii!!" Usagi glomped Chibi and Hotaru just after meeting them for the first time. "Wai, you are now my babies!"

The camera in Chibi's hands fell softly to the grass as she harmlessly pouted to the newcomer, "Aren't you just a freshman, you crazy odango head?" Chibi looked up at the strange girl holding her so affectionately. Secretly, she liked the attention. Rei had to stifle a snicker at the words taken right out of her head. Hotaru showed no acknowledgement of Usagi's existence and continued eating her Pocky.

"Ehhh!? You've been hanging around Rei-chan too much—meanie!!" Usagi cried out, little fountains of fake tears shooting out of her closed eyes. Mamoru swooped in like a knight,

"Well, you look like you might be my daughter…" He congenially patted Hotaru's head, still wrapped in one of Usagi's arms. Hotaru chose this time to react by giving Mamoru a cold, death stare. He eased away from her, laughing nervously.

Mamoru also noticed that he was the only male in this picnic group arranged by Minako. Oh wait…there was a metro-looking guy with blond hair sitting next to the—

"Mio, you look like someone queefed in your mouth…" Jadeite smiled crookedly at a glowering Mio. Whoops, just kidding, Mamoru thought. The voice was low, but definitely female, especially given the unique dialogue. Mamoru was the only dude here. Sigh, he supposed he was used to that. He really needed to make his own friends…

"So everyone here is gay except Ami, Mako, Mamo, and me?" Usagi blurted out. Mamoru took his future wife's hand, ready to carry her away full-sprint for her lack of tact. Indeed it was a conversation killer, and everyone stared at Usagi in one of three fashions: 1) **Amusement** – Setsuna, Haruka, Michiru, and Jadeite. 2) **Relief** – Makoto and Ami. 3) **Denial** – Chibi…Lesbian, not gay!! Or else we'd be called GASS, shudder; Hotaru…I'm probably more asexual than anything…; Mamoru…Baby, you did NOT just ask this aloud…; Mio…that fucking manipulative bitch Minako is NOT gay; Rei and Minako…just plain difficult personalities.

"What makes you think I'm gay, Usagi?" Minako spoke up first. And why not Ami and Mako?

"Ano…you arranged this group, and you told me it was a gay club. Isn't that also why you broke up with Zoicite?" Usagi drew her finger to her chin as she tilted her head in deep thought. Mamoru felt the need to do something this time.

"Oh my, Minako, please excuse Usagi for her behavior. She's not thinking," Mamoru bowed in guilt towards the singer. Minako accepted this gesture, swallowing the pitiful retort she didn't want to use anyway. She had told her bandmates about the breakup a week ago after her visit home. Naturally, with Usagi involved, it became public. Minako put the apple down in her lap, losing her appetite for any sort of lunch. Rei caught all of this, but she was sitting too far away in the big group, next to Ami and Makoto. Her drummer and pianist mates put a comforting and restraining hand on both sides of her shoulders, not wanting Rei to cause a scene. Haruka and Michiru nursed Minako on the other side. But no one could stop what was coming next,

"Then why did you break up with him, Aino?" Mio rained sulfur on Minako's dying ego. Rei had explained to Mio last week how she thought they wouldn't work out as a couple. Conveniently, it was also when Mio heard about Minako's and Zoicite's official break up. It was laughable to let it off as pure coincidence. In reality, the world wasn't fair to anyone.

Setsuna silently cursed herself for not catching this bombshell, still thrown off by the straight, bunny-haired girl's entrance. Jadeite whistled at the feistiness of the situation, very much entertained by all these new people. She thought they would just be perfect and proper and boring, but no, she could get used to _this_. Jadeite looked over at her prank-buddy Haruka, but it seemed the Prince was genuinely concerned about her freshman. Sucker. Caring took too much effort. She patted her pockets for cigs. Check, still in stock.

Rei was audibly growling, the first time she ever directed it towards Mio. It took all of Makoto's strength to hold the fireball down, but luckily, Makoto was effortlessly jacked…for a girl who could be a Japanese model. Mio was entirely unaware of the negative energy, completely focused on humiliating the drowning singer. Minako didn't have enough time to collect herself, so she prepared a poor response,

"Matte, Mina-chan?" Usagi-chan began again. Everyone held their breaths. "Aren't you together with Rei-chan now? There's nothing to feel bad about now Mina! You two are so perfect and cute together; we all totally support you!!" Usagi put two fob signs up with the most goofy genki, toothy loving smile in the universe.

There was no room for silence as a muffled giggling could be heard behind Setsuna's covered mouth. Soon Michiru was giggling too with a politely closed mouth and smiling eyes, while Haruka followed after with loud guffawing. Makoto and Ami couldn't help themselves as they threw their heads back, openly laughing. Hotaru tossed Chibi her camera, as the tiny girl began cheering along, snapping shots of everyone in such genuinely good spirits. Jadeite snickered good-humouredly. Mamoru hummed happily for a crisis averted, rolling his eyes at two surfers who passed by giving him an approving nod for being with a group of beautiful girls. As if he wanted or had a chance with _any_ of these girls.

Leave it to Usagi to inadvertently save the day.

"We're not togeth—!"

"B-baka—!"

Minako and Rei made eye contact at the same time, immediately dropping their stares in blushing fits. Just when Rei was about ready to rip away from Makoto's prison-grip, she found herself chained from embarrassment. She'd just have to find another excuse to be close to Minako later that day. Minako would likely be that excuse, randomly initiating their revived practice sessions. There was an invisible boundary where they stopped short of sex. They still weren't talking directly about their feelings. The grope was good enough for now.

Jadeite gave a sidelong glance at a fuming Mio. She pulled out her pack of cigs, wrapping her arm around Mio's shoulders after grabbing a stick to hold near Mio's line of vision, "Cigarette?"

"What? Oh…thanks," Mio took the cigarette, though she didn't smoke. She just needed something to rip apart in her hands…beside her mangled hands.

"Look babe, just forget about this goody-goody Brady Bunch. All of them look to be—what is that word?—soulmates? Bedmates? Anyway, they're all paired off, and Setsuna is too good for anyone," Jadeite counted arbitrarily with her fingers, Mio in some agreement, astonishingly. "You want endless ass? Follow me, kiddo. And we should be fuckbuddies too. Free sex with no drama. It's how kings lived…" Jadeite sagely nodded.

"Well, can't refuse that…" Mio grinned at the charming upperclassman.

Setsuna could sense her two officers would be the best of friends. It seemed some players _did_ have hearts of gold, along with mouths and pockets of gold, and golden hair? Setsuna couldn't help looking up at Jadeite's ridiculous hair, and she put her hand up again to gracefully giggle. Her Vice President quirked an un-dyed black eyebrow back at her, and Setsuna smiled warmly back at Jadeite in thanks.

"Ehhhh!? Mamo-chan and I are the only straight ones!?" Usagi exclaimed loudly, shattering the inside voices conversation she was able to hold with Chibi for only so long. "How are you so smart!? I don't believe you're my child!!" Afterwards, Usagi looked pointedly in shock at Mako and Ami. Ami buried her face in a book she pulled out of her bag, and Mako looked helplessly up and down from Usagi, to Ami, to her neat bento box.

"I'm NOT your child, you crazy Odango-baachan!" Chibi shouted back. Mamoru laughed as Usagi used both of her hands to pinch Chibi's cheeks, and Hotaru opened a new box of Pocky.

As Mako and Ami were busy covering up the confusion, Rei moved some of her flying hair behind her ears. It was a choice day for a picnic, the warm coloured leaves of Fall floating in the atmosphere like snowflakes. Rei inhaled the crisp air, gently smiling as she pulled a red leaf from her hair. She closed her eyes to let the wind wash her face.

Haruka was ruffling Minako's hair as Michiru sipped delicately at her tea. Minako pulled out of Haruka's bullying to look at her sister. Her heart caught in her throat as she stared directly at a peaceful Rei. Rei was so beautiful; it was impossible for Minako to look away. How her cascading hair danced in the playful wind, how only the red leaves seemed to surround her, how Rei not only attracted civilization but nature as well. Haruka took Michiru's hand in her own, both soaking vicariously in Minako's leaking affections.

How Rei didn't seem to need anyone like everyone else pawed and clung to at this picnic gathering. Everyone was engaged with another person, but Rei looked happiest, absolutely divine on her single pedestal. Minako needed to take some sort of action, or her feelings would have nowhere else to go. She was going to talk to Rei seriously tonight. It would mean sacrificing some blessed practicing, but there was something that needed to be done.

Just some dumb before I throw you into the roller-coaster climax. And I wanted to resituate you with the cast!


	16. Chapter 16

Disclaimed.

Language. Angst. Warned.

I've never noticed this, but my formatting never appears. I'm really sorry about that. When there are breaks in time or scenes, I usually put four stars up. I guess I'll have to try something else now…

-.-

Chapter XVI

It was 10pm, the time of night when some college students' brains refused to function for the purpose of homework. Minako fell into this cognitive genepool, and naturally, she socialized Rei's brain to follow after.

Given the past week of almost scheduled and ritualized practicing, Rei couldn't help getting a little excited, an understatement of horny, as Minako shut her Logic book for her. Of course after a life of rehearsal, Rei whipped out her annoyed scowl, just for old time's sake, just for fun.

"No Rei-chan, drop the act, we need to talk," Minako said seriously.

Rei couldn't help the momentary disappointment that flashed on her face, but soon fear gripped her as it seemed obvious what Minako would want to discuss. Usagi's outbursts earlier today must have piqued Minako's motivation to ruin their careless, thoughtless, neat little practice arrangements. Even if Minako never loved Rei back, at least she could forever stay in the limbo of best friend benefactor.

"Ready to exchange our hearts' dirty little secrets?" Rei let out bitterly.

"Actually, no, not at all. I don't care about who you love anymore," Minako said matter-of-factly.

Rei looked quite stung by this remark and responded, "Well then what could this possibly be about?"

"No, ack, I'm sorry Rei-chan. I didn't mean it like that," Minako bit her lower lip, "I mean, of course I care that you get to be with the person you love, but I can't really stand by to see that," Minako slowed before beginning again, "I've decided to study abroad next semester in Florence."

"What?" Rei whispered. Maybe she had heard wrong, or maybe if she was quiet enough, it would go away. Yes, it was always best to pretend in these situations. At the very least, this was entirely unexpected.

"My studio teacher thinks I have a lot of potential to perform for a living. He's actually talked about it since I arrived here, but I guess I never thought about it until recently. Going abroad would really enhance what I've learned here in the states, my worldliness, and my overall marketability," Minako listed these facts coldly, listlessly.

"I-Italy?" Rei choked out. It was hard enough to get something out of her mouth…and that was all she had. She was quickly losing control of her senses, damming herself from exploding. Her vascular system went into overdrive, the veins bulging along her limbs and neck.

"I'd filled out all the forms a month ago, you know, just to get my teacher off my back. But I told him he couldn't submit them until I fully consented. I was never planning to…but I guess I had a sudden change of heart. I sent him the email before dinner since he's touring in another state right now. Mom and dad will be fine with it, because we'd discussed me going abroad at some point during my college career. It's a once-in-a-lifetime experience," Minako said, growing more confident in her decision.

"W-wh-wh-why!" Rei threw her arms up, balled in fists. It was a sadistic joke. It was a lie.

"I feel like I've given plenty of good reasons, Rei-chan…and now you'll be able to freely pursue…her," Minako shuddered painfully.

Confusion allowed for Rei's throat to loosen up, "What does that have to do with any of this!"

Minako swallowed her pride, her wasted fears. Rei really wasn't getting any of this. For such a booksmart girl, she could be so…_dense_. Minako would not be able to make a quick getaway by this point, "Looks like you're forcing me to be brutally honest, huh?" Minako stopped and began again rashly, "As long as I'm around, Rei, you'll _never_ be able to get this over with." Of course, Minako could speak so ambiguously at times, believing that everything in her head was tangible to her audience.

Rei's throat sealed up again. Her face contorted in hellish pain. So Minako had finally figured it out? Most of Rei wanted to throw herself out the four-storied window, but she couldn't hurt herself in front of Minako. No matter what, Minako still cared for her as a _sister_. It was enough to die on the inside, where no one could see, where no one knew exactly how dim a soul could flicker away after a lifetime of spurned love.

"It's just too distracting for the both of us. We'll never get anywhere in life like this. I just love you too much to see you go through this, Rei-chan," Minako shrugged, hands folded behind her back, balancing her weight on one foot as the other tipped, eyes downcast.

Rei grabbed at her chest. She was almost certain Kami-sama was skinning her heart layer-by-layer. Her vision was going in and out, and she tried her best to not fall over. She mustered everything within her to stand straight and say something, anything! "No…no…please Mina…n—" Don't leave me.

"Look, I know how stupidly selfless you are. Even though you can't admit to me that you're in pain, you'll still ask me to stay, just to make me feel better! This is really about YOU, not me!" Minako wrung her hands, wanting to pull at her hair follicles.

Rei fell on her knees, hands gripping at her head. She looked like some desperate, mad-woman satyr, Joan of Arc fallen from grace. Minako really just wanted to collapse with Rei and hold her, but she knew her sister wouldn't appreciate it now.

And no fucking way, Hell blizzarding over. Tears began streaming down Rei's face. _Rei_'s perfect, ivory-stone face. Not since that time Rei's mother passed. And then her grandfather, her father long disappeared. Or when Minako cried. Rei never cried…for herself. "You. Can't. Y-yo-you told me that you can't sleep without me!" Rei yelled with burning fury, knowing well she hated sleeping without Minako too. This really frightened Minako; she didn't know what she was supposed to do to please Rei at this point. Rei only ever raised her voice at Minako when it was out of annoyance. Rei only ever used her anger to—defend—Minako. "Are you taking it back!" Rei spit out venomously, making Minako jump back a little. She knew Rei would _never_ hit her, but she had also _never_ seen Rei so blasted. "You're so cruel! And you now know what you do to me! How can you do that to me!" Rei roared at Minako, throwing her arms out. This time Minako fell on her bottom due to the ferocity of Rei's accusations. "You lied to me! You evil—LIAR!" Minako pulled viciously at her hair now, doing anything to overpower the clenching of her chest. "Why Mina…? Why? If you really loved me, you would stay despite my feelings," Rei broke down in full cries. "You've broken me. I h-! I ha-! I hat-! I hate you!" Rei sobbed into each time she uttered it. "I hate you, hate you, hate you…" It became a mantra requiem.

Minako's heart was irreparable by this point. She was dizzy from nausea, and it was never fair. She didn't even get to fully confess her feelings before being blatantly rejected by her cruel sister. She didn't intend to admit her feelings originally, just wanting to run away to Italy so they could both be free. But even in loss, Aino Minako could not go down quietly beaten. And of course, she was sobbing now too,

"Fuck you, Rei! FUCK YOU! Why even bring up not being able to sleep with you! When you finally get with your _soulmate_, it's not like I'll be able to sleep with you then!" Minako reasoned in her hysteria. Rei was too irrational at this point to understand. And she was still hunched over bawling. "Why are you picking on me when I'm already beaten? You're cruel to pick at my weakness. So I'm a coward, so what! I'm sorry for using you for my own selfish needs in our practice sessions! But now I'm leaving, so you can go get her! I won't actively try to sabotage your chances now…" Minako demurred, because her tears were winning against her voice.

Rei lifted her upper body slightly from the ground to stare at Minako, "What are you even talking about!" Rei managed to whine through her crying. She was too lost and broken to comprehend Minako's deluded imaginings.

"I'm letting you go, Rei. I'm holding you back from getting what you want, because it's not what I want…wanted," Minako inhaled deeply despite the torrential fall, preparing herself to proclaim what had been driving her to depression this semester. Fuck her life; here it came, "I used to have hope that you could love me…" Rei rose, needing to hear more clearly. "Stupid me begged to the gods every night that you were gay _and _incestuous. And then I found out about _her_. I would pray some miraculous death on her, something really wicked, so you would only have me left. I thought I could completely fill your world with me, so you wouldn't even think of her. But you're not exactly happy right now with me, are you? I know you'll never love me now. Now you say you hate me," Minako choked, having to pause to catch her hitching breath. How could a word hurt so much? How could a word make you want to die?

"Mina, I—" Rei shamefully crawled closer.

"NO! I _will_ say what I have to say and end it! Let me have my dignity, goddamnit! Fuck…I don't even know what's worse…witnessing you loving another person…or you hating me! As if my heart isn't ruined enough! Thanks for hating me, sis," Minako bit out ruthlessly, only to charge on, "I hate her. She could be Mother Theresa; she could be God of the universe, and I would never forgive her. I hate her more than you could ever know…but I don't hate you. It'd make a lot more sense to hate you, but I look at you…and I—" Minako whimpered helplessly. "I'm lost to you. You beat me again and again. You-" Minako held up a violent, pointed finger at Rei, "Hating the person who uncontrollably fell in love with you! Flipped my sexuality, destroyed my boyfriend of four years, going abroad so you can love _someone else_ in place," Minako's pace picked up, the agonized confession falling out like poison bile, "Of course Kami-sama gives me a hopeless love! Making me gradually crave you after you moved into my life, no, came out of the womb!, and then suddenly imprisoning me now to only ever love you. I love you so impossibly that I _have _to let you go. I love you," Minako's voice returned to a placid, defeated lull. "I love you. I'm horribly in love with you. But no!...just go. Leave me alone, god. Go before I take you down with me. Go before you take everything of me. I can swear my life that your love for her couldn't possibly be as consuming as mine," Minako's head fell on her chest.

Rei crawled in warily, guilty as Brutus should have been. "Minako…"

"Get away from me! You're bad for me! I DON'T NEED YOU!" Minako lifted her crazed, unfocused eyes for a second before unhinging her neck again. Humanity had been stripped from her. Love made people human, and Minako felt robbed of it.

Rei considered using dialogue before going in, but Rei was hardly the smooth wordsmith. What should she, could she say? She needed time to prepare the right words, but too much time would diminish the remains of Minako's resolve. So instead, Rei just rambled out, "I'm the real coward, Mina. Four years compared to your couple of months of never acting on it? I'm so ashamed, so sorry Minako. You're so brave…I think this has all been too confusing…but we're both wrong! Ah ha ha ha…" Rei had lost a few screws by this point, so it was almost unbearable to listen to, "What's my secret?—It's you. It's always been you, you, you. Only you! You wanted to murder yourself all along! And now you swear your precious life! I love her more than my own life!" Rei laughed maniacally, her pupils taking minds of their own as they floated in different directions. Rei couldn't stay back anymore as she latched herself onto Minako.

Rei's indirect speech and offensive laughter only spurred Minako to thrash violently against Rei as she tried to hold her. But Rei took it with a demented, tearful smile. Minako scratched at Rei's thighs, leaving red marks everywhere. She beat against Rei's breast, which was inconceivably painful to the guitarist. Adrenalin alone could not dampen sensitive nerves. But Rei still held onto Minako, that creepy smile ready to rise to Nirvana.

"It's okay. You can hit me all you want. I de—" an especially brutal slap knocked the wind out of Rei, "—serve it." Rei coughed and breathed for a moment to reorganize her ability to speak, not to say she reorganized her thoughts. "I'm sorry…I was wrong. I could never hate you. Un-fucking-possible. I would hate god itself before I hated you, and then I would just self-destruct. I'm the liar. Forgive me Minako, please forgive me, because I've only ever loved—" Minako clawed at Rei's neck, drawing blood, "—you," Rei croaked out.

Minako froze upon registering the red run down her love's throat combined with Rei's last utterance. She didn't know if she could believe it. She had failed to feel any sort of love from Rei tonight. She could be falling into another trap, another lie. The past months had only been a black hole of feelings, and could you ever get those back? Minako's heart had already buried itself when Rei dared to speak "hate" against her. Minako's world had ended there. The apocalypse headed by a merciless Rei-sama. What could be lost at this point? Minako gave in, only because she believed herself weak. She had nothing left, so what did it matter? Like a cornered animal, a kidnapped victim, she could only turn to her abuser. Throwing her arms around Rei's slender, marred neck, she sobbed into the crookedness of it all. Rei held her tightly, rubbing both her head and back. She breathed in the sweaty scent of Minako's hair, an aroma engineered specifically for Hino Rei.

"Mi-na. Mi-na-ko," Rei rubbed weakly into Minako's scalp, "I'm certain I've loved you my whole life. Maybe like you mentioned about gradually craving? But…I realized that I loved you after you stopped kissing me back then. When all of a sudden your affections moved onto a freshman Zoicite…" Rei had sobered by this point, speaking as plainly as she usually did. Her highly esteemed, no bullshit, direct approach, "I didn't understand why I couldn't stop loving you, because it seemed obvious that you would never even be able to love me back. So I stayed quiet all those years, hoping you'd be happy with him, but praying that you'd notice me one day…I tried my best to be supportive of your relationship, but I hated him too. I could only put up with him, because I believed he made you happy." Rei noted that Minako's sobbing had calmed considerably. But her girl was still crying. Rei yearned to smother her wet face.

"Why? Why, why couldn't you have just told me then? It would have saved so much of this…disaster. Can this even be helped?" Minako murmured negatively into Rei's throat, quickly returning back to quietly crying. Minako couldn't trust herself to believe this. Rei loved her back? They could be together? Just like that!

"I was scared! I…I really am a coward! I was foolish to think that I would rather stay with you in your background than risk being rejected. By college, there wasn't even hope left for me! But I can put my stubbornness to good now. I can help this; I'll make it work now! How can I give up now! You saw me fall before you! I don't know what to do without you!" Rei shivered as Minako pulled her body closer, needing to _feel_ everything that Rei said. Minako needed to believe, or everything was lost to her.

"I won't be left behind again in my life," Rei's eyes began to water for the second time, thinking of her deceased mother and grandfather, her deadbeat dad. "I have no reason or will if you leave me. If you want to go to Florence, then I'll find a way there too, even if I have to drop a semester. Even if you bid me go, kicking and screaming, I'll wait. I've always been waiting for you," Rei whimpered out. Minako gave in more, as she pulled Rei closer in her arms. She inspected the visible damage done on Rei's neck before softly kissing and licking the cut she made. The blood tasted miserable in her mouth, a reminder to Minako to never strike her dear sister. Her Rei? Was Rei really hers now? "No more secrets. You know everything about me if you know that I love you. What can I do to show you?" Rei paused with a quick inhale, a little distracted from the curiously sensual act of Minako sucking at her open wound, "Okay. I'll go shopping with you whenever your whimsy. I'll try on whatever you think I'll look…cute…in. I'll get you pretty sweets when we pass by those display windows. I'll always play my guitar for you or with you when you sing. I'll sing if you ask me. I'll write songs about you. I'll put away my books to listen about your day, everyday. For the rest of my life, let me do these things? And I promise to hold you when you sleep every night…" Rei declared in solemn patience. What would Rei _not_ do for Minako?

Minako broke into sobs again, startling Rei. Her body tensed protectively, unsure of what she needed to do for the singer. "Rei…you've _always_ done those things for me. I wish you had just told me all along. I can't believe I didn't see it. I didn't see anything, spoiled by all of your attention. I'm so spoiled, stupid girl spoiled. I should have known…should have known. Then none of this would have happened. We could have been happy. I failed you…" Minako shot her head up to stare heatedly at Rei, "I hate you!...for being so perfect compared to me!"

Rei couldn't help flinching at the words, even though they were backhanded…fronthanded? No matter how put, jokingly or semi-seriously, "hate" was not a word to be thrown at a loved one. But Rei would not let her eyes fall from Minako this time. She would accept Minako's words fully for what they were. It was the least they could do at this point.

"Rei, I hate you." Minako practically glared at the deflating Rei; both of their eyes glistening from unwarranted attacks and hope. There just had to be hope this time around. "But Rei-chan…I _love_ you so much more," and Minako closed the doubt between them, finally allowing her love to consume _her_ Rei in a desperate kiss. Hesitance was of the past as Rei immediately responded, kissing back unrestrained. It was burning, it was breathy, it was beautiful. It was to be.

Rei picked Minako up with the last of her energy reserves, moving them more comfortably to their bed-couch. They wouldn't make it to the upper bed tonight. They wouldn't make it to morning classes tomorrow.

They shared waning, chaste kisses as exhaustion beat upon them. "I love you, Minako," Rei kissed Minako's nodding head as they drifted off to euphoric dreamlands. Rei upheld her promise to hold Minako all night, their fingers intertwined in a lock.

-.-

You wanted to see them consummate it, didn't you? Ecchi.


	17. Chapter 17

Disclaimed.

A few more chaps, just for fun.

I hate formatting. You've never been able to witness my interrobangs (! ?)—Is my hair questionable or am I weird in bed? …I understand if you want to leave now.

-.-

Chapter XVII

Rei and Minako sat cuddled under a thick, downy comforter on their bed-made-couch. Twas the morning after, and a pregnant truancy kept them locked in their room. Classes would have to wait until they were ready to deal with other people, only just beginning to deal with one another in their novel…relationship? Would it be forced, strained? Would one expect more than the other, unbalancing the scale of feelings? Would their personalities not make it through to a romantic level? Oh please, take a look…

Rei shook her head in amusement as she watched daytime show host Ellen Degeneres do her awkwardly charming dance. How did she do that! ? Rei recalled the first time she tried dancing, and that had been lopsidedly awkward. After some repetition and drilling from Minako, Rei could be charming on the dancefloor. But there was no in-between.

Minako wasn't paying much attention to the screen, as she put one hand on Rei's washboard stomach to lean in to kiss her ear. Rei didn't exactly look Minako's way, but she didn't pull away either, so Minako decided to flick her tongue along the inside. Minako exhaled sensually as she did this, possibly turning herself on more than Rei.

"You're a horndog," Rei accused.

"Excuse me?" Minako pulled away with a well-groomed, quirked brow. She let her hand linger on Rei's stomach though. She really couldn't get enough of this new perk.

"It's not even noon," Rei said, clicking at the menu options of the LCD TV.

"And stuff like this can only be done in the secret hours of night?" Minako challenged.

"No, but you have no restraint. You'll make people uncomfortable…" Rei reasoned, a natural Mary type. She had never attended Catholic school, but something about Rei seemed to fit seamlessly in there…

"Rei-chan, we're in our room. And restraint? We haven't even done anything yet~!" Minako whined petulantly at her sister, shaking Rei a little. "Oh. Which reminds me," Minako instantly became dry, "Last night when you were talking about what you could do for me, you forgot a _very_ important part of your duty…to our relationship…to me." Minako looked serious at this point, and Rei at once was joyful and panicked at Minako's particular words. Minako then suddenly smirked at Rei to disarm her panic, and the singer even slipped her hand under Rei's shirt for emphasis. Rei gulped deliciously. "You have to satisfy me," Minako lowered her eyelids intoxicatingly. "Like when I'm hungry, you feed me. When I'm needy, you touch me. I'm horny, so fuck me," Minako purred, leaning into Rei's flaming face. And just like that, Minako pulled away laughing, holding her own stomach from the look of Rei's expression.

"Mature. Realize that I'm the one in power since I'll likely be the one to set limitations on how frequently we do such….activities," Rei said in exasperation.

"Activities? Haha, you mean summa this-and-that?" Minako sassed.

"Yes Minako, I can withhold sex," Rei said severely.

"Sheesh…who would have thought _you_'d be the girl…way to relinquish your power…" Minako pouted more at the fact that Rei would _indeed_ withhold sex. She didn't quite listen to what came out of her mouth—

"Hush Minako. I can't believe you would associate 'the girl' with submission. Whose side are you on…?" Rei grumped. Oh Mary. What a diehard feminist.

"Gahh! Well if I wasn't so hot and bothered, my frustrations wouldn't jumble my brain like that! Forget this! I'm hungry; feed me!" Minako kicked away the comforter, storming out of the room.

"Haha, yes ma'am!" Rei followed in tow.

-.-

After devouring a late brunch, Rei and Minako parted ways for their afternoon classes. They hadn't been apart for the past 18 hours, and it was especially hard to leave each other after their tumultuous, last night. It was only after many harmless quips and pointless reminders to lengthen their goodbye, could they leave each other with hurried kisses, grasping fingers, and yearning eyes. Parting is such sweet sorrow.

-.-

The two managed to return to one another's sides at the start of the LASS meeting, seven hours of classes, meetings, and projects too long for their current clingy need.

They hardly ever lacked in the quantity of their conversational goldmine, but when they first bumped into each other fifteen minutes before the meeting, words died as they pushed against each other in a fierce kiss. Not wanting to overdo the public declaration of amore, they slipped into an empty handicap/unisex restroom, locking its only door. Minako was firmly pressed against said door, savoring how much she loved Rei taking charge, playing the gentle leader.

Rei's hands were burning to touch every last part of Minako's body, and her hands slid warningly over Minako's jean zipper. Minako slightly arched into her hands, granting access. It was tempting, wonderfully tempting, but Rei grimaced at the thought of their first time being in a public toilet. One that men probably used too. PENIS! Okay, Rei cooled it by removing her hands, slowing her licks and sucks to fluttering kisses. Minako made only a half-hearted whine, probably in accordance with the unromantic site.

"Ready to go to the meeting?" Rei intercepted, an attempt to bring their teenage hormones into some order.

"Sure," Minako said breathlessly, body flushed from Rei's busy hands.

They stepped together out of the restroom, a few LASS girls walking by giving them disbelieving stares. Minako raised her eyebrows at them friskily, while Rei tried to act as if nothing was out of place…

Stopping at the entrance of the meeting room, Minako slapped a nametag above the left side of Rei's chest. Rei looked down to find herself tagged as, "Property of Minako Aino." She looked over to find that Minako had placed a tag on herself, simply named, "Minako Aino."

"Well isn't this charming…" The sarcasm in Rei's voice left no room for discussion. Well, unless you were Minako Aino.

"Tailored and fit for the most charming of people!" Minako replied cheekily with a V-sign.

"People? You mean, thing? As flattered as I am—" Rei tried to rip the sticker off, but to no avail. She turned on Minako in irritated confusion.

"Ah ah ah, Rei-chan. I know my _things_ well. I put extra double-sided tape on yours. Please be a good girl now. People will find out sooner or later…" Minako prompted to a gaping Rei, revving her mantra "You were created for my selfish devices. Made for me and only me." Minako moved in to place the softest of kisses on Rei's lips. Sometimes the softest ones held the most feeling. She pulled away soon after, not intending for it to get heated again.

Rei sighed, taking hold of a pleasantly surprised Minako's hand, leading them into the conference room. As brilliantly glowing as stars, nearly everyone in the room watched them as they entered. Minako looked adorable as her entire upper-body seemed to be taken over by a blush. Her wide eyes were glued to the floor. Rei looked defiantly back at everyone with her shining eyes, only the faintest of rouge adorning her high cheeks. The couple looked at each other briefly, encouraging each other's smile, before turning back to their waiting audience. They were absolutely captivating.

Makoto's cellphone seemed to appear out of thin air as she one-touch dialed someone's phone number. Makoto's heart raced with each ring. That confusing first half-ring. Did it count? One. Two. . . Three. No, _please_ do not go to voicemail… Fou—

"Oomph…is it on?..." the voice from the receiver seemed to be talking to itself. Makoto was growing a little impatient, "I hope I didn't hang it up…H-Hello?"

"It's happened. Rei and Mina. Come. Saito Conference Room," Makoto was about to hang up until—

"EHHHHHH! ! ? ? I'M COMING RIGHT NOW! DON'T MOVE." Ami raised her brow at how it seemed as if Usagi-chan were on speakerphone… "MAMO, WE HAVE TO GO NOW NOW NOW. . .DOUSHITE! ? REI-CHAN AND MINA-CHAN ARE IN LOVE! ! ! THEY'RE FINALLY TOGE—" Makoto ended the call, wordlessly returning her cell phone to her jeans' pocket.

"'A fire sparkling in lovers' eyes…'" Ami murmured.

"Haha, well it's always been a part of Rei's eyes," Makoto joined in.

"It appears she has lighted Minako's for us," Ami went on.

Makoto went behind Ami, the sudden urge to drape her arms over and around the small girl's shoulders fulfilled. Makoto leaned lovingly into Ami's back, "I'm happy for them too, Ami."

-.-

When Minako became "dry," I meant her demeanor, humour. Maybe an infinitesimal part of her was _wet_.

Summa = some of ≠ summa cum laude

"Parting is such sweet sorrow." The master, the muse, the Bill. Shakespeare, Romeo & Juliet.

I don't know how to use commas,


	18. Chapter 18

Disclaimed.

So it turns out that I had this written a long time ago, but never uploaded. All apologies. I was out of the country for a long time.

Felt like there needed to be some inner senshi bonding.

-.-

Chapter XVIII

Usagi sat on her coffee table, head resting on her open palms, grinning at Rei and Minako like an idiot. It was two days after the first LASS meeting Usagi had ever attended, well, crashed. Mamoru forcibly included. She still seemed to be pretty amused by the new couple.

Rei's eye was twitching dangerously. She was tempted to lean forward and cap Usagi in the back of the head, but she chose to instead cover her twitching eye. Minako rubbed Rei's collarbone and sternum soothingly, perched on the arm of the recliner holding Rei. It was Rei's designated recliner in the trio's suite room. While Rei used most of the couch's cushioning, Minako leaned lazily on Rei for support. Minako eyed Usagi with a veiled smirk, trying to act as if she wasn't amused by the situation either.

"What, Usagi?" Rei tried to keep her voice level, as she began rubbing her face in her hand.

"Rei-chan…I'm just so _happy_ for you two! !" Usagi's mouth managed to grow wider and open, her tongue visible in her smile.

"I got it when you disrupted the LASS meeting. I got it when you spilled my milk in the cafeteria. I got it when you disrupted my phone conversation with okaa-san. I got it when you shouted it across the lecture auditorium in Shakespearean Lit! !" Rei rose a little from her seat, making Usagi squeak and Minako lose balance. Makoto and Ami shared a look on the big couch, recalling exactly how Usagi had managed to wake up two hundred students at nine in the morning. Yes, it was the one class all five of them agreed to take together.

"Aw Rei-chan is such a meanie! I just wanted you to be touched…" Usagi said.

"I'll take care of _that_ Usagi," Minako snickered. She couldn't miss out on that opening; it was just too easy. Rei clicked her tongue in annoyance.

"Nani?" Usagi cocked her head to the side. "Rei-chan, really, it's amazing, sugoi! I mean, I don't really have feelings for other girls, so it's sometimes hard for me to understand. But with you two, I get it! I never thought two girls could be so cute together, WAIIIII! ! !"

Both Rei and Minako couldn't help flushing at such a sincere compliment, so they had nothing to snap back.

"Wait Usagi, what about Michiru and Haruka?" Makoto decided to join the conversation. It was a little curious to her anyway.

"Ano…I don't know. Haruka isn't all that cute to me…" Usagi said.

"Didn't you think she was a cute boy the first time we met her in middle school?" Makoto rejoined.

"H-hey, I didn't realize she was a girl then! And Mamo-chan is a cute boy. Haruka is a _pretty_ boy," Usagi nodded her head sagely, index finger in the air. "Even if Haruka might be a cute boy, she can't be a cute girl too…!" Usagi looked confused, brow ridiculously furrowed. "Wait, it makes sense to me. When I imagine two girls, I guess I think of two pretty, gentle-"

"I'm not gentle!" Rei was ready to join the fray again. Everyone scoffed at her.

"Suuure, Rei. If anything, I'm willing to bet that Minako isn't that gentle…" Makoto said. Minako threw her hands behind her back, trying to look innocent.

"We've done nothing like that! ! …I don't know what you're talking about," Rei deadpanned, feeling like she gave away too much.

"You know Usagi, I can think of two other cute girls you might approve of—" Minako chimed in, but was cut off by a poke in the bum. She raised her eyebrows suggestively at her assailant, and Rei immediately regretted her action.

"Yeah so Haruka and Michiru are too much like normal couples, like a boy and girl. But Rei-chan and Mina-chan are like a real girl and girl!" Usagi beamed stupidly.

"Normal couples…?" Makoto echoed. Did Usagi mean heterosexual? Makoto patted her own back for catching that. Must have been LASS's doing. Sometimes it was necessary to be politcally correct. She stole a quick glance at Ami.

"Better not let Haruka know she's not a 'real girl,'" Minako said sarcastically. Assuming such rigid roles for non-hegemonic relationships…silly, simple-minded straight girl. Minako tripped on her thoughts as she had to reprimand herself. She had _just_ been in that place in her life. She should really stop being so judgmental…but Usagi was still ignorant!

"In light of the conversation, it's very kind of you to be so supportive of Rei's and Minako's new relationship, Usagi," Ami smiled benevolently at the group, silencing any resentment. Makoto grinned proudly.

"Of course! It's just like you guys will be at Mamo-chan's and my wedding!" Usagi gushed, already imagining the colour of the place settings. Yeah right. She had already planned that years ago…she was imagining the gifts she would receive.

"Eh, you guys already act married. No special treatment," Rei waved dismissively. Minako buried her nose and mouth in Rei's luscious hair, hiding a grin. Plus, she loved the way their milky green tea shampoo smelled in Rei's hair, mixed with her pheromones…Kami, she wanted Rei right then and there. When were they going to do it! ! ? ?

"You're a BIG MEANIE! !" Usagi grabbed a pillow and chucked it at a laughing Rei who dodged it gracefully, holding Minako securely as she swerved.

"…What's in a marriage?" Ami murmured. All eyes fell on her. Rei was tempted to scoff, thinking Ami was usually better at creating lines from famous literature. Ami flushed for saying it aloud, so she decided to clarify, "I-I mean, what's in a marriage when it can't unite two people who so clearly love one another? It's hardly fair…" Ami mumbled out. Minako highly suspected that Ami wasn't just referring to Rei and herself.

Makoto gazed at Ami strangely until the quiet girl looked up, and their eyes exchanged something that the other three couldn't possibly fathom. Ami nodded and shuddered as Makoto enclosed Ami in her arms. No, it wasn't a hug; Makoto was intimately holding Ami around the waist.

"EHHHHHHH! ! ! ? ? ?" Usagi pointed at Makoto and Ami, looking almost betrayed. Even Rei and Minako stood up out of their recliner in shock. "You guys too? Nani? Where? When? How?" Usagi rapid fired in shouts. Rei and Minako couldn't have put it better themselves, nodding with Usagi, mouths agape.

Ami nodded again at Makoto as if giving the drummer permission. Makoto grinned sheepishly, closing her eyes, thinking of the best way to put it. She opened them, suddenly looking at peace with the finiteness of conclusion, "Always."

"Ohohoho, you two are _good_," Minako pounced.

"Well, we're definitely better at being subtle than you two," Makoto jerked her thumb towards the other couple. There was no arguing that.

"Okay…but why the secrecy?" Rei said. It irked her somewhat that those two seemed to just fall into place, whereas Minako and she had cut away at each other until there was nothing but the truth.

"That was at my discretion, forgive me," Ami spoke firmly. "I didn't want the balance of our group to be changed by our relationship. However, given the circumstance of Minako and Rei, I felt it was time to be honest. I'm truly sorry; I only meant well." Makoto's grip on Ami increased dotingly.

"So when? In high school? …Earlier?" Minako queaked. They were all deadly curious.

"Sophomore year of high school. A bit after we became really popular as 'Sailor Planets.' The attention we got from fans just made us realize that we didn't really need…anyone else's," Makoto grinned roguishly, reminiscing that time. The other couple's faces screwed up in surprise and lingering envy.

"But I'm your roommate guys! How come I've never seen you two…you know…_do _anything?" Usagi dared. It was right in front of her, but she was senseless again.

"C'mon, we're not like nympho and pyro over there," Makoto threw her thumb at them again. Rei and Minako had to hold each other both from lunging at their good friend. "We have a lot of self-control. We're classy," Makoto flashed a toothy grin. Ami silently admonished her, making the drummer pout.

"Oh, hold up," Minako raised a shaking open palm, a weak sort of stop sign. "That means that Rei and I are..." Minako shuddered audibly. No fucking way. This mocked everything they represented in their personalities, every saucy thing Minako said growing up! ! "...We're the _only_ virgins! ! ? ?" Minako shrieked. Nympho her ass! More like horny maiden! !

Ami and Usagi ripened bright red, avoiding any possible eye contact.

Rei shrugged. It wasn't a big deal to her. But she couldn't help sprouting visions of little Ami in the throes of sex, not in any perverse way, just very shattering to the shy girl's image. Makoto shoved Rei in the shoulder, seeming to read right into her thoughts. Makoto then put her hands up defensively in laughter, "You exposed yourself there, Mina. I was never quite sure whether you had done the deed with Zoicite, but thanks I guess. Although, I could have as much guessed, given how wound up you are," Makoto lassoed her index finger, thundering uproariously. Ami gripped Makoto's arm tightly, eliciting a small gasp of surprise from her offensive lover.

Rei had to use all of her strength to restrain the adrenaline-hopped, screaming Minako, ready to rip Makoto's face off. "Oh you think you're all cool with your tough, big, stupid, lumbering, sexed-up body huh? Huh! ?" Minako huffed, swinging her arms around like a swimmer. While Rei still held Minako securely, she shot Makoto a warning glare.

Damn, first a physical rebuke, albeit small, from her sweet Ami; a madwoman Minako ready to impale her; and now Rei looked like she was triggering to telepathically crush her? Mako had no intention of showing lip further.

"Waaahhhhh!" Usagi cried, heavy drops ready to pop out of her eyes. "Ami-chan and Mako-chan are really cute too, but now I'm all left out! ! I should ask Mamo to come over-"

"Please refrain from doing that," Ami broke out into the tense air again. Her head was down, but she brought it up to show shining eyes. "That's why I felt the need to be private. 'Sailor Planets'...our _friendship_ means more to me than you can imagine. Like how I came into this world...I'd like to leave this world with my very best friends," Ami said, her words lapping over all the unique and hard edges of the group. It was hard to stay mad when Usagi was on the verge of genuine tears, and Ami was throwing in the towel, her beautiful pride, to appease the quarreling group.

Ami always to the rescue.

"...Now c'mon Odango-chan, no one is leaving you behind," Rei came up beside Usagi, putting an arm around the anxious girl's shoulders. The remaining three smiled at each, conflict washed away in their sincere earnest to make-up, as they rose to enclose Usagi in an embrace.

It was how they functioned. Rei, Minako, or Makoto usually set off some sort of argument, where Usagi would innocently say something that made everyone realize how guilty or silly they were acting, and Ami would counsel the remaining mess. Unfortunately, Usagi never figured out the process, always a little behind the rest. But they adored her. She was their childish optimist, their crybaby princess.

While the rest of the university campus was busy rolling kegs around and blasting base, the five girls simply enjoyed each others' presence in trivial banter, Mako's baking, and face masks; Minako concluded that their pores needed some heavy infiltration.

-.-

Next chapter?—Fluffy cotton candy.


	19. Chapter 19

Disclaimed. Ramanda87 reminded me that I still exist on this site.

-.-

Chapter XIX

_While the rest of the university campus was busy rolling kegs around and blasting base, the five girls simply enjoyed each others' presence in trivial banter, Mako's baking, and face masks. Minako concluded that their pores needed some heavy infiltration. _That very night.

Rei and Minako were strolling hand-in-hand along the dead campus at around 4am in the morning. It was two hours after most partying students had passed out from minor alcohol poisoning. A couple of cases were more major, a not-so-happy ending in the hospital. Then there were always the obsessive students who were busy working in either the 24-hour library or gym.

The Fall air was refreshing to their tingling faces. Minako had really chosen to use intense clay masks.

"Rei-chan," Minako breathed sexily, "I'm in the mood t—"

"Tell your studio teacher that you withdraw your application from going abroad?" Rei quipped.

"Reiiii~~" Minako whined, quite put off, "He isn't coming back from his tour until tomorrow. Gosh, you want me to bother him during the weekend?"

"You could send him an email," Rei suggested.

"That's so impersonal."

"Didn't stop you from giving him the go."

"I wasn't thinking straight."

"Well I just have to accept _that_ part of you," Rei grinned at Minako. Minako was a little taken aback by Rei's play with words. That was usually _MInako's_ game, but she could see her fiery friend could play too. "As for your...mood..." Rei started again, "don't tell me you're still worked up about being the last virgin of us?"

"I _am _worked up, panties all in a bunch! I don't know how you can be such a saint, but it's not like I'm getting any younger. It's downhill at this age. You know how women depreciate with time..." Minako theorized.

"Just stop. Don't be silly, Minako. You're not going to look old until you're...oh forget it, I'm not going to put an age on you. But most girls, yeah, they start looking leathered out and saggy at 30. Some of them 20 from all that gaudy orange suntanning! But you...you grow more lovely with each season! I swear it, your beauty doesn't stop! You're refinin—"

"You make me sound like oil," Minako smiled, secretly bought by Rei's account of her looks.

"You certainly can be crude," Rei said.

"Oh you're not out of the hole yet, Mary. Are you even thinking about _it_? I don't mean this to be cruel, but I can't handle another four years of Zo-no sex. Do you even..._want_ to do that with me?" Minako squeaked out embarrassed. There had been this nagging feeling in the back of her head that Rei didn't. While she was 98% positive—girls are entitled to their doubts!—that Rei loved her best and wanted to spend the rest of her life with her, Minako wasn't sure if _that_ was just it. Rei had always shown absolute devotion to her, but it stood strong without physical reinforcement, the intimacy of two sister best friends. What if Rei just wanted to be domestic partners with her? Wanted to be in some boring, platonic Boston Marriage! ? As appealing as growing old with Rei was, never being able to make Rei overflow in burning passion made Minako sick with want. She could not do without _having_ Rei, and Minako would rather die than not be able to offer herself fully to the raven haired enigma.

"Mina...it's been three days," Rei looked a mixture of exasperatedly and placatingly at Minako. It did not do much to soothe the desperate girl. "Believe me, I want you...painfully, but I'm a little frightened." This next part helped Minako understand more, "Well no...just...maybe I'm an old-fashioned girl. It just doesn't feel right to me until I know we're ready. It's going to happen; I can't hold it in much longer than you. I just want to always remember, cherish it, okay? Please be patient with me?" Rei pleaded gently, giving a smile that reminded Minako of their father's crinkly one without the wrinkles. Weird.

Minako looked in breathless awe, lovingly at her Rei. It was all going to be okay. She would respect Rei's wishes...and she could wait too, right? Didn't Minako want something along similar lines? It was fortunate one of them had the restraint to attain that, because she would have cheaply done away with it. And in like mentality, "Okay you sexy beast, but when we're past the awkward consummation, I'm going to have you in those bushes, on that tree, down to the lawn with all the squirrels, up against that dorm's window..." Et cetera, Minako sing-songed.

Rei paled at the seemingly playful, but very likely threat. Would she even have the stamina to keep up with Minako? Good thing she ran nearly every morning... Rei nodded dumbly, bobble-heading-ly at master Minako. Was there ever a relationship that did _not_ contain a more sexually aggressive partner? And in lesbian relationships, why was it almost always the more traditionally feminine one! ? Rei accepted that, because then Minako would be unlikely to ever let a woman or man dominate her…oh right… Minako was still always going to be bisexual. It made Rei insecure, knowing even if she gave Minako everything, she could never be a man. What if Minako suddenly wanted football arms and pectorals, social approval, and to be filled by thrusting—stop. Stop, Rei. You have her now. Try your best? Rei chuckled worriedly to herself.

"I love you," Minako snuggled closely up to Rei, relishing the warmth. It wasn't necessary on such a fair night, but she would rather burn alive in Rei's presence on a scorching summer's day than be without.

Rei lit up, outshining the moon, "Ready to sleep? We've really thrown off our sleep schedule."

"Mm, let's go back then," Minako yawned into her hand, partially into Rei's cheek. It had been a long school day and more, and Minako was tempted to have Rei carry her back. She figured Rei would be obliging, but Minako had been taxing on the girl enough for one day. She didn't seem the type, but Minako kept track of her offenses. She didn't make up for them in full, but she wouldn't risk losing Rei over her high maintenance. If need be, Minako would throw away her every quirk to keep Rei nearby always. But just one debate more for the night.

"19 years," Minako said. Rei stole a questioning look at her sister, not comprehending. "It's been almost 19 years I've been holding back. 'Three days' is a sick understatement…"

"You only realized until after I came out to you, so that's what?—Two months?" Rei argued.

"Who wanted to make out with you _every freaking_ day from the middle of seventh grade to ninth grade! ?" Minako made her point.

"Fine, almost six years…no reason to triple that amount for your faulty argument!" Rei's feathers were all fluffed up at this point.

"Which reminds me, when I was six—you were five—I invited you over to spend the night," Minako breathed, eyes cloudy from the past.

"Probably forced me," Rei offered.

"It was thundering like crazy," Minako disregarded Rei's comment, "and I hated that growing up…"

"Still do…"

"Normally I would have to run over to mom's and dad's room, just to feel safe, but never falling asleep…but I had _you_ that night. I, um yeah, forced you to sleep with me in my bed. When the thunder struck, I started crying. And you must have felt _something_ for me, even if just pity or hopefully it was compassion…" Minako murmured.

Rei flushed at the sudden return of this memory, recalling just how awkwardly she felt at the time when the older Minako so desperately _needed_ her that night.

"You didn't turn your back on me anymore. You hugged me in my bed, telling me everything would be okay. Um, since we were both on our sides, you used a hand to cover the ear that wasn't muffled by my own pillow. And the other hand…"

Rei felt like she would spontaneously asphyxiate. Don't say it, Minako.

"I took your other hand with both of mine and began sucking on your thumb."

Rei expelled the breath that wanted to be choked. She knew it. She just didn't want to hear it spoken like that. She was just too easy to embarrass.

Rei recalled watching wide-eyed as a child Minako sucked so fervently at her thumb. It was so enormously precious in reflection. Rei remembered shaking with each loud thunder, because she was a little frightened herself but with no hand to cover her own ears. But with Minako's slowly, but steadying breathing, the rhythmic sucking and lapping of her thumb, the lulling bodily scent of Minako—even though the older girl had been obnoxiously annoying, Rei could never deny how the girl always smelled like the flowers of nature—Rei had also been calmed enough to sink her face into the smaller Minako's hair.

"—And I fell asleep. Only with _you_," Minako's voice started crescendoing with confidence, "—I sucked your thumb, Rei, as you held me. That's pretty much the most intimate thing that can happen between big toddlers. Without the hormones, it was pretty much kid sex!"

"Gah! Enough, that's still only 13 years! It would be impossible for your infant brain to have retained anything earlier…" Rei finished lamely, scared of what a scheming Minako might have in store.

"Second word."

Rei fell over, much a sign of her white flag going up.

"It's debatable whether 'ball,'" Minako carried on, "—was even my first word, considering I said it all the time without any context…but you, my fuzzy fireball," Minako eskimo-kissed a sulking Rei, "Mom says I would go up to you in your stroller, super giddy, pointing and shouting anything from 'Ay! Wei! Mei! Bei! Lei!' Before any other person, I would just so happen to know your name. That's just perfectly romantic. It's a done deal. It wasn't just foreplay; we had baby intercourse."

"Geh, Minako…" Rei rubbed her scrunching eyes.

"And to think, what was your first or even second word? Woe is me, because it wasn't _me_! Maybe _I_'ve been waiting for you to return my love much longer than _you_ have!" Minako rationalized.

"Hush, Minako. Your name has a lot more syllables than my name, and they don't even have assonance. How could an infant have pronounced that? Even if I was your second word, clearly you didn't get the 'R' consonant until later…" Rei made brief eye contact with Minako, then blushed profusely at her didactic response… "And stop being a martyr! You really believe you love me more! ?" Rei dared at the singer with fiery challenge.

"Equally so, yes," Minako reacted calmly, "And I'm just trying to prove how badly I need you. Since everything in the past was meant for you, I'm desperate to have _all of you_. I feel like I'm losing precious time from our perfect union, but I'll just have to wait." Minako moved entirely into Rei's space, holding her sister around the neck and head, pushing her hips tightly into Rei, breathing in the little space created by their joined foreheads, "I still don't think you understand how much I want you."

When they had arrived back to their dorm, dozing on their upper bunk, Minako chose to slowly pay Rei back her debt through affectionate service. Rei lied flat on her back, practically passed out from exhaustion. She occasionally moaned and fluttered her eyelashes as Minako worked on her. Minako, equally tired, lay draped over Rei, massaging the knots from her shoulders and neck, lowering kisses on the areas she had previously attended with her fingers. Rei's breathing became steadier with each passing minute until Minako assumed the guitarist was out.

Suddenly, Rei shot up to kiss Minako tenderly on the lips, while ushering the singer down to bed with her. Even on the bottom, Rei managed to comfortably balance and hold Minako on top of herself, hands behind the singer's head, elbows resting on the delicate back. The kiss was long, loving, and lazy—before they broke away from one another tiredly, although missing the touch. Rei didn't seem to mind Minako staying on her, so Minako nestled her head safely in the crook of Rei's neck. Rei left her arms around Minako, fingers mixing intricately with Minako's locks. It was only the start of the weekend, but it was already so sweet.

Minako found one of Rei's thumbs and took it in her mouth, tongue roaming every millimeter of skin. Rei groaned at the unnecessary lubrication, looking at Minako's sucking, then down to her own heated, nether region. There was no way Rei would hold it in much longer, blast the wanton Minako.

-.-

Huh, so this was the last chapter I had written for this story. The End.


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